Civic Data Education Series
  • Civic Data Education Series
    • About
    • License
    • Instructor Guide
    • Feedback
  • Segment 1: Introducing Civic Data
    • Module 1.1: Introduction to Open Civic Data
    • Module 1.2: The Lifecycle of Open Civic Data
    • Module 1.3: A Critical Approach to Open Civic Data
  • Segment 2: Understanding Civic Data Ecosystems
    • Module 2.1: Identifying Civic Data Intermediaries
    • Module 2.2: Introduction to Civic Data Ecosystems
      • Module 2.2 Activities
    • Module 2.3: Assessing the Civic Data Needs of Communities
  • Segment 3: Preparing Libraries for Sharing their Data
    • Module 3.1: Selecting and Sharing Open Data
      • Module 3.1 Activities
    • Module 3.2: Protecting Privacy
    • Module 3.3: Metadata for Open Civic Data
    • Module 3.4: Data Documentation for Open Civic Data
      • Modules 3.3 & 3.4 Activities
    • Module 3.5: File Formats for Open Civic Data
  • Segment 4: Community Engagement through Civic Data
    • Module 4.1: Defining Data Visualization
    • Module 4.2: Telling Stories with Data
    • Module 4.3: Outreach on Open Civic Data
  • Segment 5: Using Civic Data
    • Module 5.1: Asking Data Driven Questions
    • Module 5.2: Answering Data Driven Questions Computationally
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  • Introduction
  • Instructional Materials
  • Video
  • Script and Slide Deck
  • Activity
  • Additional Resources
  1. Segment 3: Preparing Libraries for Sharing their Data

Module 3.3: Metadata for Open Civic Data

PreviousModule 3.2: Protecting PrivacyNextModule 3.4: Data Documentation for Open Civic Data

Last updated 2 years ago

Introduction

This is the first of two modules on metadata and documentation. In this module, we consider the ways that open data initiatives have approached creating and managing the information about data, or metadata. We will build an understanding of the importance of metadata for supporting discovery, understanding, and reuse of civic open data.

Guiding Questions

  • What is metadata and why is it important to open civic data sharing?

  • How does metadata impact the interpretation of data?

  • How can information professionals create metadata that makes open civic data easier to use and understand?

Vignette

To support the usage of their Wi-Fi data, the librarian creates metadata for the dataset shared through the open data portal and creates a data dictionary and readme file that supports the reuse of the data. They also create a civic data guide, based on the LibGuide model, that provides information about why and how the data was collected, the organizational context in which it was collected, and limitations of the data. The librarian also seeks out qualitative stories to contextualize the data to include in this guide.

Instructional Materials

Video

Video Files

Script and Slide Deck

Script and Slide Deck Files

Activity

There are two activities that support modules 3.3 and 3.4. We recommend engaging with both modules before completing the activities.

Activities for Modules 3.3 and 3.4 are available on their own sub-page: Modules 3.3 & 3.4 Activities

Additional Resources

Module 3.3 Captioned Video: Metadata for Open Civic Data
LogoIntroduction to Metadata
Anne J. Gilliland offers a valuable introduction to the metadata in her "Setting the Stage" chapter in Introduction to Metadata, 3rd edition (Getty, 2016). Her chapter describes the purpose of metadata and the types of metadata standards that support discovery, understanding, and reuse. Citation: Gilliland, A.J. (2016). “Setting the Stage.” In Introduction to Metadata, edited by M. Baca. 3rd ed. Los Angeles: Getty Publications.
http://www.getty.edu/publications/intrometadata/setting-the-stage/.
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Module3.3_CaptionedRecording.mp4
Module 3.3 Captioned Video: Metadata for Open Civic Data MP4 Video
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Module3.3_UncaptionedRecording.mp4
Module 3.3 Uncaptioned Video: Metadata for Open Civic Data MP4 Video
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Module3.3_Script.docx
Module 3.3 Script: Metadata for Open Civic Data Word Document File
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Module3.3_Script.pdf
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Module 3.3 Script: Metadata for Open Civic Data PDF File
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Module3.3_Slides.pptx
Module 3.3 Slides: Metadata for Open Civic Data PowerPoint File
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Module3.3_Slides.pdf
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Module 3.3 Slides: Metadata for Open Civic Data PDF File