Metadata fields
Metadata is data that describes other data. You can create the metadata that you want to use for a schema in order to further define documents in the system. Using metadata allows you fine tune your searches for information. For example, if you are using metadata for your invoice type documents, not only can you search by document name but also the document status, type, date, invoice number, or other important information. You can also use metadata for describing images, graphics, maps, schematics, or offline documents which do not contain any information. Assigning metadata to your documents makes searching and retrieving information considerably faster and easier.
Metadata data fields can be of various types. Each type has a unique set of properties associated with it. The different types of metadata fields are as follows:
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Text box
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Drill drop down menu
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Drop down menu (FileHold managed or database lookup)
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Date
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Number
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Currency
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Check Box
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URL
The Library Administrator can ensure that a minimum amount of metadata is captured for each document entered into the system. Centrally managed vocabularies are different than 'Folksonomies' where the end users are free to tag or classify documents with any kind of metadata. Public tagging without any management or planning may result in chaos.
To view metadata fields in the document management system
- In the Web Client, go to Administration Panel > Library Configuration > Metadata Fields.
- In FDA, go Administration > Manage Schemas > Metadata Fields.
- The list of metadata fields can be filtered by the first letter of the field name. Click on a linked letter to display the list metadata fields that start with that letter.
Why metadata is important in a document management system
When a document management system contains thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of documents, a full-text search can result in an overwhelming amount of returned hits since many documents share common keywords and phrases. Additionally, assigning metadata makes searching for and retrieving files such stored images, graphics, TIFF scans, maps, schematics, or other images (that do not contain file information other that format, size, date added to the system, and a file name) dramatically faster and easier
Library Administrators can ensure that appropriate metadata is added to files as they are brought into Library. By setting centrally controlled metadata when creating document schemas, the Library Administrator provides for a controlled yet flexible method for defining the information that should be captured as the file is added to the Library.
The metadata can be customized depending on what information is important to be captured. The metadata is captured when files are added to the document management system and can be updated as new versions are introduced. For example, consider a contract document. The metadata fields that are used to describe this document are: Type of Document, Document Name, Contract Number, and Contract Date.
Metadata fields may be used in multiple document schemas. This will allow users to search for all types of documents that relate to a given customer.
Users will not have access to documents that they do not have security permissions to see.