Descriptive Metadata

“Enables a publisher to describe datasets and data services in a catalog using a standard model and vocabulary that facilitates the consumption and aggregation of metadata from multiple catalogs. This can increases the discoverability of datasets and data services. It also makes it possible to have a decentralized approach to publishing data catalogs and makes federated search for datasets across catalogs in multiple sites possible using the same query mechanism and structure” (https://www.w3.org/TR/vocab-dcat-2/ )

Proposal:

Work with the group to:

• Agree a minimum set of descriptive metadata (content) that will be collected (and published) across the federated network

• Agree an approach to discover new data catalogues across the network

• Agree an API specification and calls to the following:

  • catalogue registry: each catalogue shares the other catalogues they are aware of across the network

  • [authentication / authorisation] (currently all the metadata shared across the network is open however, this may not be the case in the future. However, for the first iteration authentication / authorisation does not need to hold up development)

  • dataset list: list of the datasets/standards/terminologies that can be “subscribed to”

  • dataset descriptive: descriptive content + embedded to structural content (see structural content section)

• Agree a serialisation format that will allow data catalogues to share content

Content:

• Draft to be developed based on work with HDR UK / ADR UK / ONS and NHSE.

• Minimum set of descriptive metadata for a dataset to use Schema.Org metadata

• Minimum set of descriptive metadata for a catalogue to use Schema.Org metadata

• Minimum set of descriptive data for a list of datasets to use Schema.Org metadata

• Minimum set of descriptive metadata to be serialized as JSON-LD