What is essential to ensure when creating metadata for datasets?

Addressing all requirements and standards when creating metadata for datasets is crucial because metadata serves as the foundation for data discovery, understanding, and management. Comprehensive metadata provides users with necessary context about the data, including its origin, structure, purpose, date of creation, and how it can be maintained or updated. By adhering to established standards and requirements, such as those from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) or the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), the metadata becomes interoperable and consistent, enhancing collaboration and data sharing among different organizations or systems.

Effective metadata not only aids users in comprehending the dataset but also facilitates better data governance, quality assurance, and compliance with legal or institutional mandates. Therefore, a metadata schema that comprehensively addresses standards ensures a high level of data usability, integrity, and credibility, making it invaluable for any dataset.