An Introduction to Metadata
http://www.library.uq.edu.au/iad/ctmeta4.html

Taylor, Chris
University of Queensland
2003

Abstract:

Metadata is structured data which describes the characteristics of a resource. It shares many similar characteristics to the cataloguing that takes place in libraries, museums and archives. The term 'meta' derives from the Greek word denoting a nature of a higher order or more fundamental kind. A metadata record consists of a number of pre-defined elements representing specific attributes of a resource, and each element can have one or more values.