Blog Post 3: Metadata and Database design

What good is data that cannot be found? This is the question that chapter four rivals as it conveys the dangers of lost information if not properly categorized through the use of metadata, markup, and data description. One example of metadata that the book provided was a library record. Libraries hold an immense number of resources from books to maps to journals. Without a library record, it would be seemingly impossible to find the resources one needs, and if not impossible then incredibly inefficient at the least. That’s the purpose of metadata; to use information describing data to organize it in an easily accessible manner. There are three different types of metadata. The first is descriptive metadata which utilizes metadata schemes in order to create classification systems. Then, there is administrative metadata which uses information to help organize data according to use and/or type. Finally there is operational metadata which provides information on what is required for the data to be presented properly.


My project, the virtual tour of the National Museum of Natural History, is a prime example of metadata and its three varying types. Overall, the museum is a collection of artifacts, text panels, dioramas, etc., all organized into various exhibits. The way in which the contents of the museum are organized is based on what they are, when they are from, and what message the museum’s curator wants to convey. Like the library record example, the virtual tour platform allows for the viewer to be able to find the displays they are searching for easily as the exhibits are clearly labeled and accessible. The viewer is able to view the entire building with access to a map and text panels and videos that describe exactly what they are looking at. Through the museum using HTML5 and JavaScript as markup languages, it ensures that the website and its contents are able to be displayed properly for maximal use. It is evident that museum itself is an example of metadata; however, with the option of taking a virtual tour from anywhere in the world, it exemplifies how digital humanities projects, like the museum, rely on metadata.


The primary takeaway I took from chapter 5 was the importance of taking into consideration independent and dependent relations when designing a database. The difference between the two is that independent relations in a database can exist on their own whereas dependent relations in a database depend on another table for their data. The textbook provides examples of each: a table listing birthdays relies on who they are referring to (dependent), a table listing residential addresses isn’t affected by other tables as they will always stay the same but who resides at each location will vary as time goes on (independent). It’s crucial to group independent tables with independent tables and dependent tables with dependent tables in order to keep things consistent. This will be important to consider when creating a digital humanities project of my own in the future during this course.

https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour