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Science friction: data, metadata, and collaboration
Paul N Edwards1, Matthew S Mayernik, Archer L Batcheller
1School of Information, University of Michigan, 3439 North Quad, 105 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285, USA. pne@umich.edu
Social Studies of Science
|December 15, 2011
Summary
Metadata can hinder interdisciplinary collaboration by causing
Area of Science:
- Environmental Sciences
- Data Science
- Scientific Collaboration
Background:
- Interdisciplinary research is increasing, demanding greater interoperability of data, tools, and services.
- Metadata, typically defined as 'data about data,' is crucial for achieving interoperability.
- Current metadata practices may inadvertently create 'science friction' among collaborators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of metadata in interdisciplinary scientific collaboration.
- To propose an alternative perspective on metadata, viewing it as a communication process rather than a static product.
- To identify how metadata descriptions function in real-world scientific projects.
Main Methods:
- Ethnographic studies of large environmental science projects.
- Analysis of data descriptions used by collaborating scientists.
- Qualitative assessment of metadata's role in data sharing and communication.
Main Results:
- Metadata, often ad hoc and incomplete, can be a source of friction, impeding data sharing.
- Useful data descriptions are frequently loosely structured and mutable.
- Metadata-as-process, emphasizing its role in communication, is vital for collaboration.
Conclusions:
- Rethinking metadata as a dynamic process, not just a final product, is essential for effective interdisciplinary science.
- Supplementing formal metadata products with an understanding of metadata processes enhances data sharing and collaboration.
- The ad hoc, incomplete, and unfinished aspects of metadata are integral to daily scientific work.
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