graybeal's blog

For those of you seeing this on the front page of MMI: I'm using this post to call attention to MMI blogs. If you're a member you can blog about metadata things on MMI. Ask us if you need help!

This Periodic Table of Visualization Methods is either not at all about metadata, or all about it. It sure is all about interoperability! The table has a remarkable amount of depth, even after you have discovered that mousing over an entry brings up an example of the corresponding visualization.

MBARI has done something I consider impressive in the scientific data management realm, and I want to toot their horn a little, so a blog entry seemed good for that. (Disclosure: I was hired in part to start up the project discussed below, and have gotten to claim part of its success despite contributing relatively little to it technically over the years.)

OK, it's time to put the data/metadataData about data. Metadata provides a context for research findings, ideally in a machine-readable format. It enables discovery of data via an electronic interface, and correct use and attribution of findings. Related Guide question to bed, once and for all.  You know the one:

Do we call that data, or metadata?