Using Dublin Core Metadata to Move from Need to Know to Need to Share

摘要

A large aerospace manufacturer is using the fifteen-element Dublin Core metadata as the basis for its semantic web, a linked data infrastructure that enables efficient and scalable integration of a wide variety of information sources. With mounting cost pressures and global competition, expensive or time-consuming large-scale infonnation harmonization approaches are not an option; value must be delivered quickly in the context of existing information systems. This paper describes the extension of the Dublin Core metadata to provide an internal semantic web for infonnation discovery, navigation and integration. While some technical details are discussed, the focus is on the user experience with a linked data infrastructure, using metadata for tagging, linking, and classification. The value contributed by and derived by users of metadata is described. The simplicity of the approach facilitates a critical shift in information strategy, moving from "Need to Know" to "Need to Share" quickly and cost-effectively, and places specific responsibility on the user community for information sharing. This approach parallels the shift our primary customer has been making in the last decade to increase speed and effectiveness while lowering cost and still maintaining a secure infonnation environment.