Metadata accounts: Achieving data and evidence in scientific research

Area of Science:

• Sociology of Science
• Sociology of Data

Background:

• Sociological studies have largely overlooked 'metadata' compared to 'data'.
• This neglect obscures critical aspects of scientific work, including documentation, accountability, and collaboration.
• Metadata is crucial for daily research tasks and meeting external standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To initiate discussion and conceptualization of metadata within the sociology of science and data.
• To explore the creation and significance of metadata in everyday scientific practice.
• To analyze how metadata influences the evidentiary role of data and researcher accountability.

Main Methods:

• Ethnographic research on metadata creation in scientific practice.
• Focus on how researchers document, describe, annotate, organize, and manage data.
• Analysis of metadata for both internal use and external sharing.

Main Results:

• Metadata processes are integral to scientific work, enabling data management and adherence to standards.
• Studying metadata offers insights into how data becomes evidence.
• Metadata reveals what researchers are held accountable for and how they achieve accountability.

Conclusions:

• The significance of metadata is tied to evidence and accountability within specific social contexts.
• Investigating metadata provides a lens into the social construction of scientific evidence.
• Metadata is essential for understanding the social dynamics of research and accountability.