Glossary

Metadata

Information about a record that makes it usable: title, date, author or owner, subject, case ID, access status, and version. Poor metadata is one of the main reasons records become 'lost', and migrations must carry it forward, not just content.

In practice

Metadata is the information about a record that makes it usable: title, date, author or owner, subject, case ID, access status, and version. Poor metadata is one of the main reasons records become 'lost', and migrations must carry metadata forward, not just content. The standard expects minimum metadata especially for high risk/high value systems.

Frequently asked questions

Why does metadata matter so much?

Without metadata, a record is hard to find, interpret, or trust. It supports findability, context, access control, and , and it must be preserved through any system migration.

See it in the register

Metadata, in one connected register.

IAR turns terms like this into working practice: assets classified against your disposal authority, stewarded by position, and ready to evidence.