Case Study Australian Bureau of Statistics A brief history of metadata at the ABS Simon Wall Metadata Team Leader [email protected].
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Transcript Case Study Australian Bureau of Statistics A brief history of metadata at the ABS Simon Wall Metadata Team Leader [email protected].
Case Study
Australian Bureau of Statistics
A brief history of metadata at the ABS
Simon Wall
Metadata Team Leader
[email protected]
Premetazoic era
1905-1973
before the term 'metadata' existed
some metadata management anyway
but no metadata management strategy.
Protometazoic era
1973-1990
created data dictionaries
limited reuse of common data elements
not fully corporate in scope
driven by technology, not by strategy
Mesometazoic era
1991-2000
focus on data warehousing for output
beginning of a strategic view
Towards a Unified Data and Metadata System at the ABS (1991)
developed core metadata repositories
statistical activities (ABS: collections), datasets, data items
(data elements/variables), classifications, terms
seen as overhead by subject matter areas
limited return for effort
quality questionable, not actively maintained
Neometazoic Era
2001-2007
reorganised as Corporate Metadata Repository
adding services interfaces
legacy repositories both asset and liability
vision greater than implementation
Formal strategy adopted
Strategy for end-to-end management of ABS metadata (2003)
Some new development work
11179-based Data Element Registry
Quality Declarations
Holocentric epoch
2008+
ABS executive seek clear and compelling picture
of long term metadata aspirations.
not provided by existing strategy.
How would it improve the way the organisation operates?
What new capabilities would it deliver?
Are they the capabilities we need most?
Is the strategy actually achievable?
Is it the most appropriate future for us to be investing in?
now developing "2020 Vision"
encapsulating longer term ABS aspirations for metadata
Drivers for 2020 vision
Uptake of Corporate Metadata Respository
services very slow
existing processing systems "monolithic"
not easy to modify
existing processing systems have "special needs"
customisations required
lack of funds and business drivers
disconnect between user view and description for
systematic manipulation.
processing systems unable to provide metadata to
describe transformations
Drivers for 2020 vision
Frame of reference for ABS metadata
management requirements is no longer defined
by the boundaries of the organisation
Developing infrastructure that can be shared with
other producers of statistical data within Australia
Other government agencies now have their own
focus on interoperability, including metadata.
Software collaboration / open source software
Interoperate with agencies with a focus on
administrative, geospatial, or research-oriented data
content.
Where are we going?
One The practical complexities and difficulties of using
metadata in an "end to end" context to actually drive
actual ABS processes is becoming clearer.
Two There is pressure to make our metadata
capabilities less ABS specific
more flexible, interoperable and generic - .
These factors suggest that charting a successful way
forward in regard to metadata management for the
ABS will require a "paradigm shift", a new era.