Metadata: The language to describe your data

You know your data really, really well. Turns out, writing metadata is like telling the story of your own child: its full name, where it was born, how it grew and developed, and a picture in words of all of its features. Metadata is a way to tell your data's life story, and, since it can't speak for itself, you must speak for it. By using the standards, easy tools and best practices available, it's not hard. Most importantly, metadata ensures that your data’s story is told accurately, completely, and consistently. And it's definitely a story worth telling.