MIS 605 Topic 1 DQ 2 (Latest Update) Verified and Rated A+

MIS 605 Topic 1 DQ 2 Explain metadata, why metadata are important in a database design, and metadata's connection to the schema. Include specific examples to support your ideas. Metadata is data the provides information about other data. Metadata answers the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions for users of the data. Data is a fact represented as an item or event out of context and with no relation to other things. A couple examples of data are 25, JAN, and . Without additional details we know do not know anything about these pieces of data. The number 25 could be someone’s age or it could be a dollar amount. JAN could represent the first month of the year or it could be a name. looks like it could be a binary number, or it could representation of a date. These examples of data lack context. Information adds context through relationships between data and other information. Data in context with metadata creates information. The relationship that represent data is limited in context, mostly about the past or present, with little implication for the future. For data to be anything more than simply data, metadata is required. Without it, data has no recognizable meaning, it’s merely a collection of numbers and characters. Metadata gives data its form and makes it usable information. Designing a database without metadata, will leave a company with data that has no context, which is useless information that cannot be used. A key component of metadata is the schema. Metadata schemes are the overall structure for the metadata. It describes how the metadata is set up, and usually addresses standards for common components of the metadata. An example of this would be dates, names, and places. Combining data and metadata schemes creates information that can be used and understood. Mullins, C. (2010, September 7). On the importance of metadata. Data and Technology Today. Retrieved from