Metadata

Metadata refers to the information (or data) that describes data. There are six main types of metadata: descriptive, structural, preservation, provenance, use, and administrative. Descriptive metadata is the most common type of metadata encountered by the average internet user. Most downloaded files contain some form of descriptive data. For example, an e-book file contains information including the book title and the author’s name; this is descriptive metadata. Other forms, such as use data, provide specific information about a user's access to downloaded files. Use metadata can provide information about when the file was downloaded or how many users purchased the file.