Trust and Understanding : the value of metadata in a digitally joined-up world: Introduction

Contemporary researchers are beginning to explore the possibilities and opportunities of digital humanities, but encounter major obstacles regarding (meta)data1. Many archival institutions lack the technology or the skills to process (meta)data, let alone share it. Different types of standards coexist and sometimes conflict with each other, while implementing the same standards often leads to slight differences which decrease interoperability. Storing, securing and making born-digital or digitized information available in a sustainable manner is a major challenge. Concepts such as metadata, Meta Information, Linked Open Data (LOD), Big Data… are on the rise, but their meaning and content — let alone their implications in terms of social impact — are seldom questioned. Archival institutions thus face a myriad of challenges when sharing (meta)data with the scientific community and when planning to preserve information for future generations while maintaining data authenticity2 . ispartof: Archief- en Bibliotheekwezen in België vol:106 pages:5-13 status: published