The term metadata means “data about data”. Authors, librarians, and information scientists use metadata to describing content for organization and retrieval. DSpace@Cambridge currently uses a qualified version of the Dublin Core schema based on the Dublin Core Library Application Profile (LAP). If you need help with adding metadata when depositing content to DSpace@Cambridge, please look at the describe your item section in the step-by-step guide. More information about metadata is available in Understanding metadata (NISO, 2004) or on the Dublin Core web site.

Data in other metadata standards is supported by DSpace@Cambridge, but at this point the service can only handle these as separate files - ideally in xml - to be stored along with the content files of an item.

In the future the DSpace@Cambridge team will continue to develop DSpace@Cambridge to support further metadata standards, e.g. the Scholarly Works Application Profile (SWAP). If you are using different metadata schema that you would like to deposit in DSpace@Cambridge alongside digital content, please contact us.

Metadata crosswalks

A crosswalk is a mapping of the elements, semantics, and syntax from one metadata scheme to those of another (Source: Understanding metadata, NISO).

Do you have digital content that you would like deposited in DSpace@Cambridge but where the metadata description currently exist in other forms than Dublin Core? The DSpace@Cambridge team will be happy to assist you with the mapping of your metadata to Dublin Core to facilitate bulk upload to DSpace@Cambridge.