Big Metadata, Smart Metadata, and Metadata Capital: Toward Greater Synergy Between Data Science and Metadata
Article Category: Expert Review
Published Online: Aug 22, 2017
Page range: 19 - 36
Received: Jun 10, 2017
Accepted: Jul 26, 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jdis-2017-0012
Keywords
© 2017 Jane Greenberg
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to provide a framework for addressing the disconnect between metadata and data science. Data science cannot progress without metadata research. This paper takes steps toward advancing the synergy between metadata and data science, and identifies pathways for developing a more cohesive metadata research agenda in data science.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper identifies factors that challenge metadata research in the digital ecosystem, defines metadata and data science, and presents the concepts
Findings
The “utilitarian nature” and “historical and traditional views” of metadata are identified as two intersecting factors that have inhibited metadata research. Big metadata, smart metadata, and metadata capital are presented as part of a metadata
Research limitations
There are additional, intersecting factors to consider that likely inhibit metadata research, and other significant metadata concepts to explore.
Practical implications
The immediate contribution of this work is that it may elicit response, critique, revision, or, more significantly, motivate research. The work presented can encourage more researchers to consider the significance of metadata as a research worthy topic within data science and the larger digital ecosystem.
Originality/value
Although metadata research has not kept pace with other data science topics, there is little attention directed to this problem. This is surprising, given that metadata is essential for data science endeavors. This examination synthesizes original and prior scholarship to provide new grounding for metadata research in data science.