Best Available Metadata

Table of Contents

• What is "Best Available Metadata"?
• Impacts on Rubric Completion Scoring
• How to Designate a Data Set as "Best Available Metadata"

What is "Best Available Metadata"?

Best Available Metadata is a special designation assigned to a Data Set, certifying that the information provided in the record represents the most complete metadata available.

This designation is primarily intended for legacy Data Sets, where additional information may no longer be available or feasible to acquire. Potential reasons may include:

• The relevant information is missing or has been lost
• The responsible parties are no longer with the organization
• Reconstructing or deriving additional information is not feasible

Data Sets that have been designated as Best Available Metadata will also include an explanation for why the designation is being used.

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Impacts on Rubric Completion Scores

The Best Available Metadata designation does not affect how the Data Set Completion Rubric score is calculated for an individual Data Set.

However, Data Sets which have this designation are not counted when calculating the average/aggregate scores of Data Sets under a Project or under a Library. In this way, these records can be excluded from organizational metrics which assess overall progress on data documentation.

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How to Designate a Data Set as "Best Available Metadata"

To set this designation, you must have a Publisher or higher role for the Data Set.

1. Login to InPort.
2. Navigate to the Data Set.
3. Click on the Catalog Details tab.
4. Click on the Edit button next to the Catalog Details header.
5. Under the Best Available Metadata field, click the Edit button.
6. Select "Yes" under Best Available Metadata and provide an explanation.
7. Click Save Changes.

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