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Introduction

Information is the primary output of government. The volume of information produced by government and its agents is growing at an ever-increasing rate, and bringing order to the mass of information produced is essential to ensure its continued availability, use and value. It is essential that both access to information and the ability of the citizen to locate information relevant to his or her needs is enhanced where possible. With this purpose in mind, a metadata standard, serving this body of information and its user population, was devised.

Metadata facilitates the discovery of information. The tagging of information resources allows the end user to find what they are looking for and determine the suitability of information resources. To be effective, and to instill a confidence in the end-user that all public sector resources are equally accessible, the tagging must be consistent in use and application.

This User Guide is designed to assist those directly involved in the task of creating metadata associated with online resources. It includes in its audience content creators, content editors, and webmasters. It will also prove useful to those charged with the responsibility of managing those resources and making them available to the wider public.

The Guide will help you in your understanding of the metadata elements and their usage, how to create metadata, and knowing what is required to ensure compliance with the Irish Public Service Metadata Standard, and consequently improve the likelihood of your resources being discovered and used by your audience.