Description: This paper discusses metadata quality. Maintaining usable digital collections necessitates maintaining high quality metadata about those digital objects. An effective metadata management approach can help institutions improve consistency, clarity of data lineage and relationships so that institutions can better use, reuse, and integrate resources. The metadata quality characteristics depend on various factors, including: type of resources, user perspectives, needs and priorities, which vary across groups of users. The metadata quality issue is particularly acute if there are multiple institutions participating in collaborative digital projects, where a high level of interoperability is an important element. This paper demonstrates metadata quality assurance mechanisms by examining different quality assessment criteria, including metadata record completeness, consistency, accuracy, provenance, conformance to expectations, and other known substantive factors.

Description: This paper discusses maintaining quality metadata. Quality is a multidimensional concept. The two aspects of digital library data quality are the quality of the data in the objects themselves, and the quality of the metadata associated with the objects. Because poor metadata quality can result in ambiguity, poor recall and inconsistent search results, the existence of robust quality assurance mechanisms is a necessary feature of a well-functioning digital library. Recognizing the strategic benefit of quality metadata as a means of ensuring long term access to its digital resources, the University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries employ a number of metadata quality assurance procedures, tools, and associated quality assurance mechanisms. This paper discusses issues related to digital resources management and describes how UNT approaches metadata quality issues at various levels of the digital resources life cycle.

Description: This paper discusses how metadata supports the cycle of system improvements at the University of North Texas (UNT). The UNT Libraries recently revised their Metadata Input Guidelines in order to improve usability and accessibility for metadata writers, and to enhance the quality of metadata that drives new features in their digital systems. This paper describes important considerations in the revision process and also demonstrates the relationship between quality metadata and system functionality that ultimately benefits both metadata creators and system end-users.

Description: This paper discusses the The University of North Texas Libraries' (UNTL) metadata guidelines. The UNTL Metadata Initiative progressed on many fronts in 2005 and 2006, including testing and implementation of the UNTL metadata system, on which The Portal to Texas History system is based. As the metadata work group gains practical experience in describing objects with the recommended elements, the UNTL metadata system continues to evolve. This (verson-2) guideline is a product of a series of revision activities. It should be noted that in order to comply with changing internal and external standards and needs, the UNTL metadata creation guideline will remain under continuous review.

Description: This paper discusses preservation metadata. Abstract: The challenges of long-term access are multifaceted, often requiring a mixture of approaches. Considering the critical role of metadata in any successful digital preservation strategy, the Preservation Metadata Implementation Strategies (PREMIS) has been extremely influential on providing a "core" set of metadata elements that support the digital preservation process. However, there is no evidence, in the form of previous research, as to what factors explain and predict the level of adoption of PREMIS. This paper attempts to identify factors that affect the adoption of PREMIS in cultural heritage institutions. The study employed a web-based survey to collect data from 123 participants in 20 countries as well as a semi-structured, follow-up telephone interview with a smaller sample of the survey respondents. Roger's diffusion of innovation theory was used as a theoretical framework. The main constructs considered for the study were relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, observability, and institution readiness. The analysis showed that all six factors influence the adoption of PREMIS in varying degrees. Results of a regression analysis also showed a statistically significant relationship. The R square value for the model was .528, which means that 52.8% of the variance in PREMIS adoption was ...