Metadata: The language to describe your data

You know your data really, really well. But could another researcher understand them? Will you be able to interpret them decades from now? Writing metadata is akin to telling the story of your data. Metadata records preserve data’s usefulness over time. Metadata provide context; how data came to be, grew, and developed, and how each of the features relate. Since data cannot speak, you must speak for them. Building metadata is not difficult when you use standards, easy tools, and best practices. Most importantly, metadata ensures that your data’s life story is told accurately, completely, and consistently.