Dublin Core

The Dublin Core (alternatively known as Dublin Core Data Elements, Dublin Core Metadata Elements, Dublin Core Metadata Element Set, and Dublin Core Set; hereinafter, the Core) is the standardized set of metadata elements that describe content-based resources. The Core includes fifteen elements or properties of various publications and documents. The ISO 15836, ANSI/NISO Z39.85, and IETF RFC 5013 are the standards that have set up the Core.

Elements

Title

Title is a name given to the resource. Typically, Title will be a name by which the resource is formally known.

Creator

Creator is an entity primarily responsible for making the content of the resource. Examples of Creator include a person, an organization, or a service. Typically, the name of a Creator should be used to indicate the entity.

Subject

Subject and Keywords are a topic of the content of the resource. Typically, Subject will be expressed as keywords, key phrases, or classification codes that describe a topic of the resource. Recommended best practice is to select a value from a controlled vocabulary or formal classification scheme.

Description

Description is an account of the content of the resource. Examples of Description include, but are not limited to: an abstract, table of contents, reference to a graphical representation of content or a free-text account of the content.

Publisher

Publisher is an entity responsible for making the resource available. Examples of Publisher include a person, an organization, or a service. Typically, the name of a Publisher should be used to indicate the entity.

Contributor

Contributor is an entity responsible for making contributions to the content of the resource. Examples of Contributor include a person, an organization, or a service. Typically, the name of a Contributor should be used to indicate the entity.

Date

Date is a date of an event in the lifecycle of the resource. Typically, Date will be associated with the creation or availability of the resource. Recommended best practice for encoding the date value is defined in a profile of ISO 8601 [W3C Date and Time Formats] and includes (among others) dates of the form YYYY-MM-DD.

Type

Resource Type is the nature or genre of the content of the resource. Type includes terms describing general categories, functions, genres, or aggregation levels for content. Recommended best practice is to select a value from a controlled vocabulary (for example, the DCMI Type Vocabulary). To describe the physical or digital manifestation of the resource, use the FORMAT element.

Format

Format is the physical or digital manifestation of the resource. Typically, Format may include the media-type or dimensions of the resource. Format may be used to identify the software, hardware, or other equipment needed to display or operate the resource. Examples of dimensions include size and duration. Recommended best practice is to select a value from a controlled vocabulary (for example, the list of Internet Media Types [MIME] defining computer media formats).

Identifier

Resource Identifier is an unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context. Recommended best practice is to identify the resource by means of a string or number conforming to a formal identification system. Formal identification systems include, but are not limited to, the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) (including the Uniform Resource Locator (URL)), the Digital Object Identifier (DOI), and the International Standard Book Number (ISBN).

Source

Source is a Reference to a resource from which the present resource is derived. The present resource may be derived from the Source resource in whole or in part. Recommended best practice is to identify the referenced resource by means of a string or number conforming to a formal identification system.

Language

Language is a language of the intellectual content of the resource. Recommended best practice is to use Tags for the Idenfitication of Languages, RFC 3066 , which, in conjunction with ISQ639, Codes for the representation of names of languages, defines two- and three-letter primary language tags with optional subtags. Examples include "en" or "eng" for English, "akk" for Akkadian, and "en-GB" for English used in the United Kingdom.

Relation

Relation is a reference to a related resource. Recommended best practice is to identify the referenced resource by means of a string or number conforming to a formal identification system.

Coverage

Coverage is the extent or scope of the content of the resource. Typically, Coverage will include spatial location (a place name or geographic coordinates), temporal period (a period label, date, or date range), or jurisdiction (such as a named administrative entity). Recommended best practice is to select a value from a controlled vocabulary (for example, the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names ) and to use, where appropriate, named places or time periods in preference to numeric identifiers such as sets of coordinates or date ranges.

Rights

Rights Management is information about rights held in and over the resource. Typically, Rights will contain a rights management statement for the resource, or reference a service providing such information. Rights information often encompasses Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Copyright, and various Property Rights. If the Rights element is absent, no assumptions may be made about any rights held in or over the resource.