Metadata is a valuable concept which has now become timely as an effective tool in transport, traffic, environment and the related data intensive fields. We have moved from a situation where data was very expensive to secure, and computing time was at a premium to one where data is being generated in huge volumes and computing resources are a trivial component of the costs in dealing with and translating it into useful information. Speed of response, and quality assurance that the data is what it is thought to be are critical constraints to which metadata input can make a material and qualitative difference. Transportation is a critical aspect of many human and commercial activities, and the benefits are potentially substantial. However there are a number of steps that must be taken by different professional groups in the transportation sector to enable this to be realised. This paper summarises what these are, and where the benefits can be realised for both the professional and broader communities. The Dublin Core is a proposed minimal set of data elements for describing network accessible materials.
Abstract