Metadata development and deployment: What practices from the business world apply?

William L Anderson
Praxis101, LLC and USNC CODATA, USA

Scientific research and development depends on the generation, collection, preservation, and distribution of data. And data cannot be collected, preserved, and shared without descriptions of what they are, what they represent, how they were acquired, how they are managed, and how they might be used. Like politics, all data are local, and require local descriptions to be useful. On the other hand, as data are distributed and shared, the locale and context of use changes. So the descriptions themselves need to be locally adaptable and globally useful. This presents a challenging requirement: metadata need to provide local usability and global interoperability. How can this metadata be developed and deployed? This presentation will apply a software product and business perspective to look for possible solutions.

Software product development is a well-established business that is experiencing change in both business strategies and practices. Traditional software development and deployment processes, based on a manufacturing model, are not keeping up with the conflicting requirements for reliability and rapid delivery of new features. In addition, users want better document interoperability among different products. Software businesses are adapting to competitive requirements with processes and practices that combine general systems principles, ethnographic methods, and empirical approaches to systems testing and design. New practices stress delivering less capability sooner, and using user experience as a guide for subsequent releases. These changes are yielding new experiences and requirements for both developers and users. What lessons from the software product business world apply to fostering the development and deployment of metadata to support data sharing and reuse? This presentation will explore the possibilities, and suggest practices that can help.

William L. Anderson is a cofounder of Praxis101, where his consulting practice focuses on user-centered information systems architecture, participatory design, software engineering practice innovation, and organizational learning. Before founding Praxis101 he worked for Xerox Corporation in distributed system architecture, technology strategy, and advanced product development. He pioneered co-development and customer collaboration on one of the first digital libraries, a joint project between Cornell University and Xerox. He has published papers on digital library product development, participatory design of product prototypes, and software development practices and tools. Prior to Xerox, Dr. Anderson worked in the telecom, image management, and pharmaceutical industries. Dr. Anderson holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical Chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is a member of the U.S. National Committee for the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) and co-chair of the CODATA Task Group on Preservation of and Access to Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries.