Descriptive Metadata for Web Archiving: Literature Review of User Needs

Abstract

The OCLC Research Library Partnership Web Archiving Metadata Working Group was formed to recommend descriptive metadata best practices for archived web content that would meet end-user needs, enhance discovery and improve metadata consistency. To that end, the group conducted a literature review to inform their development of best practices.They selected readings that include, at minimum, a substantive section related to metadata, but most covered a wider swath of issues. This helped them learn much else about who the users of web archives are, the strategies they use and the challenges they face.The literature falls into two clear categories: the needs of end users and the needs of metadata practitioners. This review characterizes types of end users, their research methodologies, barriers to use, discovery interfaces, and the need for support services and outreach. The review of practitioner literatures addresses the need for scalable practices, the standards and shared practices currently in use, the outcomes of a variety of case studies and other approaches to metadata.

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