Although its simplest definition is “data about data,” metadata can be better thought of as a label that provides a definition, description or context for data. Common examples include relational table definitions and flat file layouts. More detailed examples include conceptual and logical data models.
Among its other possible uses, metadata often plays an integral role in determining your data usage, gathering your data requirements and defining your naming conventions. And sometimes the best way to know what’s the matter with your data quality is to ask what’s the meta with your data?
Since it matters so much to your organization’s success, surely you can’t be anything but serious about metadata. I am serious about metadata, but don’t call me Shirley. Or Meta Monty for that matter.
Let’s not play Let’s Meta a Data
Monty Hall hosted the popular game show Let’s Make a Deal where contestants chose a prize concealed behind one of three doors, ambiguously labeled Door #1, Door #2 and Door #3, behind which were the grand prize (e.g., a luxury car), a lesser prize (e.g., a small amount of money) and a “zonk” (i.e., a booby prize, e.g., a toy car).
One aspect of managing metadata well is choosing the right metadata to describe your data using unambiguous semantics. Don’t force your organization to play the unpopular game show Let’s Meta a Data, where users are contested to choose potentially useful data concealed behind, for example, a relational table definition that is ambiguously labeled Column #1, Column #2 and Column #3.
I’m not sure if a sound metadata management strategy can guarantee you’ll always win the grand prize, but without good metadata your data quality is more likely to be data zonk-ity.
Does your organization manage its metadata well? Or are you playing games with metadata?
3 Comments
A game indeed, Jim. Popular guess work in databases and data entry forms around is:
State: Does that cover a US state, a Canadian province as well or any region around the world that might or might not be a mandatory part of a postal address?
ZIP code: Does that cover a 5 or 9 digit US postal code or any postal code (postcode, plz, pin …) around the world?
Last name: Is that a surname / family name in western cultures or a given name in Asian cultures or do you want a total mixup?
Tak for din kommentar, Henrik.
Yes, even when Meta Monty labels the columns Let’s Meta a Data can still be a frustrating game for users to play, especially international contestants. It still surprises me when companies with a worldwide presence use web forms with United States metadata labels (e.g., as you as noted, State and ZIP).
We manage our metadata well, subject to resource constraints. The metadata that we publish to our internal website is considered a Service best practice. The only game I am constantly playing is with trying to have adequate resources to develop and maintain data in support of our Big Data Data Warehouse.