What's metadata? glad you asked. Metadata is data about data, a key element of many file compression systems and other technologies. It can be used to describe the contents of a file, determine how to organize and store data, or even help identify files to access them. The term "metadata" is derived from two Greek words: "meta", meaning "after,"; and "data", indicating "given". It has been used in English since at least 1968. The word was coined in a paper by an IBM engineer. Earl H. Pfeiffer proposed that it be used to describe "the additional information that comprises the body of a document and may include such items as title page, table of contents, index terms and cross-references. Metadata management can also assist in determining a file's provenance, a chain of custody, integrity, or the certainty that it has not been altered during transmission or storage. These functions are critical for various fields, including science, journalism, law enforcement, and finance. Metadata is also used to tag content with keywords to make it easier to find. In this capacity, metadata helps search engines index large amounts of data and improves their accuracy. Computer metadata is used to describe the characteristics of computer software, hardware, and data. Metadata management is a hot topic in the world of technology. To understand this concept, imagine you're a developer and have some data stored on your computer. Some are in a box labeled "Metadata," and some aren't. You want to manage (or organize) your data, but you need to open them up and look inside each one to tell which pieces are in which boxes. It is where metadata management comes into play. Rather than opening each package individually, developers can look at the labels applied to these boxes and then manage them accordingly. Metadata management is becoming increasingly important in various technologies such as file storage, cloud computing systems, compression engines, Internet reference systems and much more.