The Dublin Core

The Dublin Core Metadata Initiative has created a set of custom meta identifiers. These meta identifiers are called the Dublin Core. It is a metadata format used as a minimal information resource description for use in a web environment. One of the wonderful things about the Dublin Core Metadata Set is its flexibility. The basic identifiers (listed below) may all be duplicated or even removed from the set listed for any particular resource. For example, if there is more than one contributor, your contributor tags might look like this:

Note: In all examples, I am using ][ instead of the correct >< so as not to upset the coding of this page. 

[meta content="Smith, Jane" name="DC.contributor"][/meta]
[meta content="Gonzales, Maria" name="DC.contributor"][/meta]
[meta content="Brown, John" name="DC.contributor"][/meta]

Likewise, if any identifier would not be useful for a particular resource, it can be left out.

This is what the full basic tag set looks like. You can find it in the head of the code in the webpages that use it.

[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.title"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.creator"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.subject"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.description"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.publisher"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.contributor"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.date"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.type"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.format"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.identifier"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.source"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.language"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.relation"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.coverage"]
[meta content="insert content here" name="DC.rights"]

Basic Elements

Title - name given to the resource 
Creator - entity primarily responsible for making the content of the resource
Subject - content description, expressed as keywords, phrases, or classification codes
Description - abstract, table of contents, free-text account of the content, etc.
Publisher - entity responsible for making the resource available
Contributor - entity responsible for making contributions to the content of the resource
Date - typically associated with the creation or availability of the resource.
Type - nature or genre of the content of the resource (e.g. Text, Image, Physical Object)
Format - physical or digital manifestation of the resource
Identifier - Reference to a resource from which the present resource is derived. Unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context.  It is common to use URL, ISBN, call number or other formal identification system.
Language - the language of the intellectual content of the resource
Relation - reference to a related resource (e.g. Is Part Of, Is Replaced By, Version Of, etc) 
Coverage - extent or scope of the content of the resource
Rights - information about rights held in and over the resource  (e.g. “Copyright, Law Library 2010")

Example

The Gen X/Gen Y Caucus of AALL uses a modified Dublin Core set on its website. The DC identifiers from their “About Us” web page is:

[meta content="Gen X/Gen Y Caucus, American Association of Law Libraries; About Us" name="DC.title"]
[META name=DC.identifier content=http://www.aallnet.org/caucus/genxy/about.htm]
[META name=DC.description content="This page provides the history and mission statement of the Gen X/ Gen Y Caucus and gives a brief discussion of the definitions of Generation X and Generation Y."]
[META name=DC.subject content="Generation X, Generation Y, Mission Statement, Caucus History, generational definitions"]
[META scheme=ISO639-1 name=DC.language content=en]
[META name=DC.creator content="Terri Wilson & Heather Phillips, Co-Webmasters"]
[META name=DC.publisher content=http://aallnet.org/]

Anyone who is thinking of using the Dublin Core Metadata Set should take a look at the following pages:

Using Dublin Core
Dublin Core Qualifiers
Frequently Asked Questions