Structural Metadata (5)
- Charlotte Reynolds
What is “Structural Metadata”?
Structural metadata describes the variables within a dataset. This was previously referred to as Technical Metadata.
What do I need to include?
We recommend sites to provide a data dictionary of structural metadata that includes the following information:
Metadata Field | Completion Guidance | Constraints | Mandatory? |
|---|---|---|---|
Data Class | Name of the table in the dataset. Use a fully qualified name if appropriate. | 255 characters max | Yes |
Data Class Description | Description of the table in the dataset. | 20,000 characters max | Yes |
Data Element | Name of the column/variable in the table dataset | 255 characters max | Yes |
Data Element Description | Description of the column in the table dataset. | 20,000 characters max | Yes |
Data Type | Type of data contained in the column. | 255 characters max | Yes |
Measurement Unit | Unit of measure UDI enumerations includes SI, SI derived and a few others: https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/udunits/udunits-2.2.28/udunits2.html#Database |
| No |
What format should this be in?
The standard format required is an excel file which includes the Metadata Fields listed in the table above (Table Name, Table Description, Column Name, Column Description, Data Type, Measurement Unit).
Please see this template file, which is also available on the Onboarder:
Structural Metadata Example | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Table Name | Table Description | Column Name | Column Description | Data Type | Measurement Unit |
Summary | The summary | Identifier | The identifier | String |
|
Summary | The summary | Title | The title | String |
|
Summary | The summary | Description | The description | String |
|
Required | The required elements | Release Date | The release date | Date |
|
Required | The required elements | Data Controller | The controller | String |
|
Required | The required elements | Data Processor | The data processor | String |
|
Required | The required elements | License | The license | String |
|
Recommended | The recommended elements | Periodicity | The periodicity | Integer |
|
Recommended | The recommended elements | Frequency | The frequency | String |
|
Is an Excel spreadsheet the only way I can upload metadata?
Definitely not!
This simple excel template is used as the low common denominator to make our interface as accessible as possible.
However, there are several different methods that supervisors can use to consume and update metadata. We've already used a few of these different formats, on request, with other clients:
REST API that accepts well-formed XML, such as these:
We can also accept reports from a profiling tool called
WhiteRabbit .
WhiteRabbit is a .jar (with a UI if you need) that you can point at a database and generate a profiling report from, which can then be used to create a detailed data dictionary.
If you would like to know more about these options please raise a Service Desk ticket and we will be happy to arrange a call to walk through these with you.