Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS)

What is Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS)?

The Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS) is an XML-based standard used to encode descriptive, administrative and structural metadata about digital objects. It provides a structured way to document an object's components, associate metadata with its files and describe relationships between different parts of a digital resource.

METS supports the management and exchange of complex digital objects across repositories and digital library systems, particularly in archival and digital preservation environments.

Key Features

Descriptive Metadata: Supports references to information that identifies and describes a digital object, such as its title, creator and subject.

Administrative Metadata: Organizes information about a digital object's technical characteristics, creation and management requirements, rights or preservation context.

Structural Metadata: Describes how different files and components relate to one another, such as the pages of a digitized book or the sections of a complex digital resource.

XML-Based Encoding: Uses XML to represent metadata in a structured format that systems can process and exchange.

File and Metadata Linking: Connects metadata descriptions with associated digital files and uses structural maps to represent relationships between an object's components.

Benefits

Improved Digital Object Organization: Provides a consistent structure for describing complex digital resources and their components.

Better Repository Interoperability: Helps repositories exchange digital objects along with relevant metadata and structural information.

Preserved Digital Context: Records relationships between files and components, supporting the interpretation and management of complex digital objects.

Support for Digital Preservation: Can be used alongside preservation metadata standards to document the information needed to manage digital resources over time.

More Structured Metadata Management: Reduces reliance on disconnected metadata records by bringing relevant descriptions and structural information together in a defined package.

Conclusion

The Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard provides a structured approach to representing metadata and relationships within complex digital objects. By connecting descriptive, administrative and structural information with associated files.

METS supports repository management, information exchange and digital preservation workflows. It can complement standards such as PREMIS, which focuses on preservation metadata, when organisations need to manage and preserve digital resources across systems.