As the World Wide Web has emerged as a major research tool across all fields of study, the concept of metadata has become a crucial topic. Metadata, which can be broadly defined as "data about data," refers to the searchable definitions used to locate information. This issue is particularly relevant to searches on the Web, where metatags may determine the ease with which a particular Web site is located by searchers.

Introduction to Metadata defines this little-understood concept, explains its importance and potential uses in the networked environment, and describes existing metadata standards in the field of cultural heritage information. A glossary of terms and expressions and a selected bibliography provide useful information for understanding this timely topic.

Tony Gill is the program officer for Art & Architecture and Cultural Materials at the Research Libraries Group. Anne Gilliland-Swetland is an associate professor in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Murtha Baca is head of the Standards and Vocabulary Programs at the Getty Research Institute.

This edition is out of print. Revised edition now available.