how to optimize your metadata and taxonomy
TRANSCRIPT
Metadata helps you find what you need to know
2Oh Metadata!
Key steps1. Create your content
strategy plan2. Determine the
metrics that will be used to measure those goals
3. Apply metadata to content
4. Communicate results to stakeholders
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Communicate results
Metadata
Key metrics
Content strategy
Key steps Communicate results
Metadata
Key metrics
Content strategy
1. Create your content strategy plan
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What makes a content strategy?
• Content strategy defines the your content business goals in a succinct, substantive statement Info model Content reuse strategy Metadata strategy User experience Workflows, processes Tools Other standards, etc.
Why do we need metrics for content strategy?• Credibility
Credible professions require to show that goals are met Credibility helps build trust
• Trust Use metrics to build trust with stakeholders Provide the value of our work to stakeholders, whom we may never
meet face-to-face Metrics become our face and are the foundation for establishing
trust• Reputation
Earned by showing the capabilities and values in our past work We have to be able to show that we have met the goals of our
content strategy plan
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Benchmarking
• Benchmarking is a comparison of your content strategy with your competitors Performance benchmarking – How does our
performance compare with our competitors performance?
Process benchmarking – How can we learn from the business processes of our competitors?
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What do you need to do?
• Put together your content strategy plan: What content? What products and services?
What do your customers need to know? What content will benefit your business for your customers to
know? What audiences? What do your customers need?
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Key steps Communicate results
Metadata
Key metrics
Content strategy
1. Create your content strategy plan
2. Determine the metrics that will be used to measure those goals
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Reasons for measuring
• Douglas Hubbard, in How to Measure Anything, says that we need effective measurements to make better decisions Diagnosis – Determine how a specific part of the content
strategy is performing Justification – Justify continuing a part of the content
strategy Orientation – Use to make decisions about the direction
of the content strategy Rewards – Assess the improvements made as part of
the content strategy and how to reward individuals or groups
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Measurement
• Measurement relies on the collection and analysis of data, which are then compared to standards, goals, objectives, etc.
• Assessment questions: How many? How economical? How accurate? How reliable? How prompt? How satisfied?
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Examples of criteria for assessing value
User criteria Value added examplesEase of use • Indexing
• Glossary• Linking• Access (subject description, short descriptions)• Ordering/sequencing
Quality • Item identification• Currency• Reliability• Validity• Conciseness
Adaptability • Response speed• Precision
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Categories of measurement
• Process measures Focused on the activities to transform data and
information into content Can be measured by quantifying the cost or time to
perform a specific task or process• Output measures
Indicate the degree to which content is used by users Indicate satisfaction of users
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Key steps Communicate results
Metadata
Key metrics
Content strategy
1. Create your content strategy plan
2. Determine the metrics that will be used to measure those goals
3. Apply metadata to content
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Metadata is….
• Correct, but ambiguous Data about data Information about data
• A little more descriptive Structured information that describes, explains, locates,
or otherwise makes it easier to retrieve, use, or manage an information object (Zeng and Qin)
Data provided in machine processable forms and communicated via protocols
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DITA is metadata and requires metadata• DITA, as XML, is a veritable sea of metadata for
information development groups• You can’t use DITA without having metadata
solutions to help solve problems and help with use cases
• A strong metadata strategy will give users mechanisms to access the information they need for common search and retrieval use cases
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Principles of metadata
• Good metadata… Supports interoperability Supports organizational needs Is appropriate to the materials in the collection Uses standard controlled vocabularies Includes a clear statement on the conditions and terms
of use Supports the long-term management of objects
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Why is metadata important?
• Metadata is critical for finding information in the CMS Searching can be enhanced by rich, consistent,
descriptive metadata• Metadata is critical for enabling dynamic publishing
Publishing for different audiences, customers, and so on Faceted searching
• Metadata classifies information to make it more findable on the Web
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Metadata supports…
• Increased accessibility• Retention of context• Expanding use• System development and enhancement• Multi-versioning• System improvements and economics
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Metadata Typologies in the DITA CMS• Embedded metadata
Stored as part of the DITA objects Stored in prologs of maps and topics
• Associated metadata Stored separately with linkages in the CMS Stored in CMS properties files
Embedded or associated?
• Use embedded metadata Searching in the CMS Needs to be used in output Needs to travel with the object for localization or
interchange• Use associated metadata
Searching in a portal Metadata is manifested when objects are in locked
states
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Types of metadata
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Type Descriptive Structural AdministrativeDescription Describes an object
for purposes such as findability and identification
Indicates how the type of objects
Provides information to help manage objects
Examples topic IDs, index terms and keywords, conditional attribute values
root elements (topic types)
rights, states, dependencies
Common Quality Issues
• Missing metadata• Incorrect metadata• Confusing metadata• Insufficient metadata
All impact issues impact discovery, interoperability, and reusability.
Quality Indicators
• Completeness Discovery, Use, Authentication, Administration
• Correctness Content, format, input, browser interpretation,
mapping/integration• Consistency
Data recording, source links, identifiers, description, representation, syntax
Existing Metadata
• Industry standards Check with the standards bodies for your organization to
see if there are existing metadata schemes• Channel/format standards
Dublin Core SCORM
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What do you need to do?
Develop your metadata strategy:1. Determine the metadata to measure the success
of your content strategy And to help CMS users find files in CMS
2. Decide where to apply metadata Document the schema Produce guidelines for using the schema
3. Apply metadata to content4. Test metadata for creating reports
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Key steps Communicate results
Metadata
Key metrics
Content strategy
1. Create your content strategy plan
2. Determine the metrics that will be used to measure those goals
3. Apply metadata to content
4. Communicate results to stakeholders
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Graphical and tabular information
• CMS Reports• TSV from Search Results• BIRT: Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools
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What do you need to do?
Communicate the progress on the content strategy plan:1. Build a report template2. Create queries to measure your key metrics3. Create report and insert query results into report
Identify the objectives of your content strategy Definition of a metric or score for each objective A target value A target date A periodic measurement cycle
4. Meet with stakeholders
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Resources
• Rockley, Ann & Cooper, Charles. Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy (2nd ed.).
• Baca, Murtha (ed.). Introduction to Metadata, 2nd ed.
• Peh, Diana, et al. BIRT: A Field Guide. • Weinberger, David. Everything is Miscellaneous:
The Power of the New Digital Disorder.• Zeng, Marcia L & Qin, Jian. Metadata.
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Resources
• Baca, Murtha (ed.). Introduction to Metadata, 2nd ed.
• DITA 1.2 specification. • Hedden, Heather. The Accidental Taxonomist (The
Accidental Library Series).• Morville, Peter. Ambient Findability: What We Find
Changes Who We Become.• Weinberger, David. Everything is Miscellaneous:
The Power of the New Digital Disorder.• Zeng, Marcia L & Qin, Jian. Metadata.
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