The Dublin Core metadata element set

The following introduction has been taken from http://purl.oclc.org/dc/documents/rec-dces-199990702.htm

The Dublin Core is a metadata element set intended to facilitate discovery of electronic resources. Originally conceived for author-generated description of Web resources, it has attracted the attention of formal resource description communities such as museums, libraries, government agencies, and commercial organizations.

The Dublin Core Workshop Series has gathered experts from the library world, the networking and digital library research communities, and a variety of content specialties in a series of invitational workshops. The building of an interdisciplinary, international consensus around a core element set is the central feature of the Dublin Core. The progress represents the emergent wisdom and collective experience of many stakeholders in the resource description arena. An open mailing list supports ongoing work.

 

Dublin Core Elements

 


Introduction to Dublin Core Version 1.1

The document summarizes the updated definitions for the Dublin Core metadata elements. These new definitions will be officially known as Version 1.1.

The definitions utilise a formal standard for the description of metadata elements. This formalisation helps to improve consistency with other metadata communities and enhances the clarity, scope, and internal consistency of the Dublin Core metadata element definitions.

The definitions provided here include both the conceptual and representational form of the Dublin Core elements. The Definition attribute captures the semantic concept and the Datatype and Comment attributes capture the data representation.

Each Dublin Core definition refers to the resource being described. A resource is defined as "anything that has identity". For the purposes of Dublin Core metadata, a resource will typically be an information or service resource, but may be applied more broadly.

 

Element: Title

  Name:        Title
  Identifier:  Title
  Definition:  A name given to the resource.
  Comment:     Typically, a Title will be a name by which the resource is
               formally known.
topBack to element selection

Element: Creator

  Name:        Creator
  Identifier:  Creator
  Definition:  An entity primarily responsible for making the content of
               the resource.
  Comment:     Examples of a Creator include a person, an organisation,
               or a service.
               Typically, the name of a Creator should be used to
               indicate the entity.
topBack to element selection
 

Element: Subject

  Name:        Subject and Keywords
  Identifier:  Subject
  Definition:  The topic of the content of the resource.
  Comment:     Typically, a Subject will be expressed as keywords,
               key phrases or classification codes that describe a topic
               of the resource.
               Recommended best practice is to select a value from a
               controlled vocabulary or formal classification scheme.
topBack to element selection

Element: Description

  Name:        Description
  Identifier:  Description
  Definition:  An account of the content of the resource.
  Comment:     Description may include but is not limited to: an abstract,
               table of contents, reference to a graphical representation
               of content or a free-text account of the content.
topBack to element selection

Element: Publisher

  Name:        Publisher
  Identifier:  Publisher
  Definition:  An entity responsible for making the resource available
  Comment:     Examples of a Publisher include a person, an organisation,
               or a service.
               Typically, the name of a Publisher should be used to
               indicate the entity.
topBack to element selection
 

Element: Contributor

  Name:        Contributor
  Identifier:  Contributor
  Definition:  An entity responsible for making contributions to the
               content of the resource.
  Comment:     Examples of a Contributor include a person, an organisation,
               or a service.
               Typically, the name of a Contributor should be used to
               indicate the entity.
topBack to element selection

Element: Date

  Name:        Date
  Identifier:  Date
  Definition:  A date associated with an event in the life cycle of the
               resource.
  Comment:     Typically, Date will be associated with the creation or
               availability of the resource.  Recommended best practice
               for encoding the date value is defined in a profile of
               ISO 8601 and follows the YYYY-MM-DD format.
topBack to element selection

Element: Type

  Name:        Resource Type 
  Identifier:  Type
  Definition:  The nature or genre of the content of the resource.
  Comment:     Type includes terms describing general categories, functions,
               genres, or aggregation levels for content. Recommended best
               practice is to select a value from a controlled vocabulary
               (for example, the working draft list of Dublin Core Types). 
               To describe the physical or digital manifestation
               of the resource, use the FORMAT element.
topBack to element selection

Element: Format

  Name:        Format
  Identifier:  Format
  Definition:  The physical or digital manifestation of the resource.
  Comment:     Typically, Format may include the media-type or dimensions of
               the resource. Format may be used to determine the software, 
               hardware or other equipment needed to display or operate the 
               resource. Examples of dimensions include size and duration.
               Recommended best practice is to select a value from a
               controlled vocabulary (for example, the list of Internet Media
               Types defining computer media formats).
topBack to element selection

Element: Identifier

  Name:        Resource Identifier
  Identifier:  Identifier
  Definition:  An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context.
  Comment:     Recommended best practice is to identify the resource by means
               of a string or number conforming to a formal identification
               system. 
               Example formal identification systems include the Uniform
               Resource Identifier (URI) (including the Uniform Resource
               Locator (URL)), the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and the
               International Standard Book Number (ISBN).
topBack to element selection

Element: Source

  Name:        Source
  Identifier:  Source
  Definition:  A Reference to a resource from which the present resource
               is derived.
  Comment:     The present resource may be derived from the Source resource
               in whole or in part.  Recommended best practice is to reference 
               the resource by means of a string or number conforming to a 
               formal identification system.
topBack to element selection

Element: Language

  Name:        Language
  Identifier:  Language
  Definition:  A language of the intellectual content of the resource.
  Comment:     Recommended best practice for the values of the Language
               element is defined by RFC 1766 which includes
               a two-letter Language Code (taken from the ISO 639
               standard), followed optionally, by a two-letter
               Country Code (taken from the ISO 3166 standard). 
               For example, 'en' for English, 'fr' for French, or
               'en-uk' for English used in the United Kingdom.
topBack to element selection

Element: Relation

  Name:        Relation
  Identifier:  Relation
  Definition:  A reference to a related resource.
  Comment:     Recommended best practice is to reference the resource by means
               of a string or number conforming to a formal identification
               system.
topBack to element selection

Element: Coverage

  Name:        Coverage
  Identifier:  Coverage
  Definition:  The extent or scope of the content of the resource.
  Comment:     Coverage will typically include spatial location (a place name
               or geographic coordinates), temporal period (a period label,
               date, or date range) or jurisdiction (such as a named
               administrative entity).
               Recommended best practice is to select a value from a
               controlled vocabulary (for example, the Thesaurus of Geographic
               Names [TGN]) and that, where appropriate, named places or time
               periods be used in preference to numeric identifiers such as
               sets of coordinates or date ranges.
topBack to element selection

Element: Rights

  Name:       Rights Management   
  Identifier: Rights
  Definition: Information about rights held in and over the resource.
  Comment:    Typically, a Rights element will contain a rights
              management statement for the resource, or reference
              a service providing such information. Rights information
              often encompasses Intellectual Property Rights (IPR),
              Copyright, and various Property Rights.
              If the Rights element is absent, no assumptions can be made
              about the status of these and other rights with respect to
              the resource.
topBack to top