Metadata Section

The metadata section <mdSec> records metadata pertaining to the METS object as a whole or one of its components. The METS document can have only one metadata section. Multiple metadata subelements <md> are allowed so that metadata can be recorded for each separate item or component within the METS document. Metadata elements <md> can also be grouped inside Metadata group elements <mdGrp>.

METS does not itself provide a vocabulary or syntax for encoding the included or referred metadata. Content guidelines are supplied by the specific standard used. METS does, however, provide a means for linking this metadata to the digital content of the entity and to other types of metadata related to the object, such as structural metadata.

Elements included in the metadata section:

• Describing the digital object with metadata
• Referring to external metadata
• Embedding metadata in METS

Examples of metadata sections:

• Descriptive metadata - embedding binary MARC records
• Including descriptive metadata with MODS
• Technical metadata for images
• Intellectual property rights metadata
• Describing characteristics of the source material
• Digital provenance metadata – PREMIS