Tip of the iceberg

January, 1998

The information you see on your computer screen after you do a Web or database search is just the tip of the iceberg. Below the "waterline" is a larger body of often invisible metadata – information about the document, its author, and its sources. Metadata helps people locate the document, assess its quality and value, control access, and evaluate its usefulness. This article lists the benefits of metadata, discusses factors which influence how much a company should invest in creating it, and provides tips for minimizing the cost.

The employee biography, problem description, or conference paper on your intranet is only the tip of the knowledge base iceberg. Below the "waterline" is a larger body of often invisible metadata - information about the document, its author(s), and its sources. Metadata helps people locate the document, assess its quality and value, control access, and measure its usefulness. Visible examples include:

• Subject index (e.g. Montague Institute index)

• Annotations and reviews (e.g. book reviews)

• Statement of ownership (copyright statement)

• Web links to related documents

More... (members only) How to become a member