what is MetaData?

 Often referred to as data that describes other data, metadata is structured reference data that helps to sort and identify attributes of the information it describes. In Zen and the Art of Metadata Maintenance, John W. Warren describes metadata as "both a universe and DNA."

Meta is a prefix that -- in most information technology usages -- means "an underlying definition or description." Metadata summaries basic information about data, which can make it easier to find, use and reuse particular instances of data.

For example, author, date created, date modified and file size are examples of very basic document file metadata. Having the ability to search for a particular element (or elements) of that metadata makes it much easier for someone to locate a specific document. 

In addition to document files, metadata is used for:

• computer files
• images
• relational databases
• spreadsheets
• videos
• audio files
• web pages

The use of metadata on web pages can be very important. The metadata contains descriptions of the page's contents, as well as keywords linked to the content. This metadata is often displayed in search results by search engines, meaning its accuracy and details could influence whether or not a user decides to visit a site.