DCMI: DCMI Metadata Terms
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DCMI Metadata Terms
This document is an up-to-date specification of all metadata terms maintained by the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative, including properties, vocabulary encoding schemes, syntax encoding schemes, and classes.
Creator
DCMI Usage Board
Identifier
Date Issued
2020-01-20
Latest Version
Version History
Document Status
DCMI Recommendation
Index of Terms
Properties in
/terms/
namespace
abstract
accessRights
accrualMethod
accrualPeriodicity
accrualPolicy
alternative
audience
available
bibliographicCitation
conformsTo
contributor
coverage
created
creator
date
dateAccepted
dateCopyrighted
dateSubmitted
description
educationLevel
extent
format
hasFormat
hasPart
hasVersion
identifier
instructionalMethod
isFormatOf
isPartOf
isReferencedBy
isReplacedBy
isRequiredBy
issued
isVersionOf
language
license
mediator
medium
modified
provenance
publisher
references
relation
replaces
requires
rights
rightsHolder
source
spatial
subject
tableOfContents
temporal
title
type
valid
Properties in
/elements/1.1/
namespace
contributor
coverage
creator
date
description
format
identifier
language
publisher
relation
rights
source
subject
title
type
Vocabulary Encoding Schemes
DCMIType
DDC
IMT
LCC
LCSH
MESH
NLM
TGN
UDC
Syntax Encoding Schemes
Box
ISO3166
ISO639-2
ISO639-3
Period
Point
RFC1766
RFC3066
RFC4646
RFC5646
URI
W3CDTF
Classes
Agent
AgentClass
BibliographicResource
FileFormat
Frequency
Jurisdiction
LicenseDocument
LinguisticSystem
Location
LocationPeriodOrJurisdiction
MediaType
MediaTypeOrExtent
MethodOfAccrual
MethodOfInstruction
PeriodOfTime
PhysicalMedium
PhysicalResource
Policy
ProvenanceStatement
RightsStatement
SizeOrDuration
Standard
DCMI Type Vocabulary
Collection
Dataset
Event
Image
InteractiveResource
MovingImage
PhysicalObject
Service
Software
Sound
StillImage
Text
Terms for vocabulary description
domainIncludes
memberOf
rangeIncludes
VocabularyEncodingScheme
Section 1: Introduction and Definitions
This document is an up-to-date, authoritative specification of all metadata terms maintained by the Dublin Core™ Metadata Initiative. Included are the fifteen terms of the Dublin Core™ Metadata Element Set (also known as "the Dublin Core") plus several dozen properties, classes, datatypes, and vocabulary encoding schemes. The "Dublin Core" plus these extension vocabularies are collectively referred to as "DCMI metadata terms" ("Dublin Core terms" for short). These terms are intended to be used in combination with metadata terms from other, compatible vocabularies in the context of application profiles.
DCMI metadata terms are expressed in RDF vocabularies for use in Linked Data. Creators of non-RDF metadata can use the terms in contexts such as XML, JSON, UML, or relational databases by disregarding both the global identifier and the formal implications of the RDF-specific aspects of term definitions. Such users can take domain, range, subproperty, and subclass relations as usage suggestions and focus on the natural-language text of definitions, usage notes, and examples.
Each term is identified with a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), a global identifier usable in Linked Data. Term URIs resolve to the (
DCMI Metadata Terms
) document when selected in a browser or, when referenced programmatically by RDF applications, to one of
four RDF schemas
. The scope of each RDF schema corresponds to a "DCMI namespace", or set of DCMI metadata terms that are identified using a common base URI, as enumerated in the
DCMI Namespace Policy
. In Linked Data, the URIs for DCMI namespaces are often declared as prefixes in order to make data, queries, and schemas more concise and readable.
The four DCMI namespaces are:
The
/elements/1.1/
namespace was created in 2000 for the RDF representation of the fifteen-element Dublin Core and has been widely used in data for more than twenty years. This namespace corresponds to the original scope of ISO 15836, which was published first in 2003 and last revised in 2017 as ISO 15836-1:2017 [
ISO 15836-1:2017
The
/terms/
namespace was originally created in 2001 for identifying new terms coined outside of the original fifteen-element Dublin Core. In 2008, in the context of defining formal semantic constraints for DCMI metadata terms in support of RDF applications, the original fifteen elements themselves were mirrored in the
/terms/
namespace. As a result, there exists both a
dc:date
) with no formal range and a corresponding
dcterms:date
) with a formal range of "literal". While these distinctions are significant for creators of RDF applications, most users can safely treat the fifteen parallel properties as equivalent. The most useful properties and classes of DCMI Metadata Terms have now been published as ISO 15836-2:2019 [
ISO 15836-2:2019
]. While the
/elements/1.1/
namespace will be supported indefinitely, DCMI gently encourages use of the
/terms/
namespace.
The
/dcmitype/
namespace was created in 2001 for the DCMI Type Vocabulary, which defines classes for basic types of thing that can be described using DCMI metadata terms.
The
/dcam/
namespace was created in 2008 for terms used in the
description of
DCMI metadata terms.
Each term is specified with the following minimal set of attributes:
Minimal Attributes
Name
A token appended to the URI of a DCMI namespace to create the URI of the term.
Label
The human-readable label assigned to the term.
URI
The Uniform Resource Identifier used to uniquely identify a term.
Definition
A statement that represents the concept and essential nature of the term.
Type of Term
The type of term: property, class, datatype, or vocabulary encoding scheme.
Where applicable, the following attributes provide additional information about a term:
Additional Attributes
Comment
Additional information about the term or its application.
See
Authoritative documentation related to the term.
Subproperty Of
A property of which the described term is a sub-property.
Superclass Of
A class of which the described term is a super-class.
Subclass Of
A class of which the described term is a sub-class.
Domain
A class of which a resource described by the term is an instance.
Domain Includes
A suggested class for subjects of this property.
Range
A class of which a value described by the term is an instance.
Range Includes
A suggested class for values of this property.
Member Of
An enumerated set of resources (Vocabulary Encoding Scheme) of which the term is a member.
Instance Of
A class of which the described term is an instance.
Equivalent Property
A property to which the described term is equivalent.
References
References
[ISO 15836-1:2017]
[ISO 15836-2:2019]
[NAMESPACE]
Section 2: Properties in the
/terms/
namespace
abstract
Property
More details
URI
Label
Abstract
Definition
A summary of the resource.
Subproperty of
Description
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/description)
Description
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/description)
accessRights
Property
More details
URI
Label
Access Rights
Definition
Information about who access the resource or an indication of its security status.
Comment
Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Rights
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/rights)
Rights
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/rights)
accrualMethod
Property
More details
URI
Label
Accrual Method
Definition
The method by which items are added to a collection.
Comment
Recommended practice is to use a value from the Collection Description Accrual Method Vocabulary [
DCMI-ACCRUALMETHOD
].
Range Includes
Has Domain
accrualPeriodicity
Property
More details
URI
Label
Accrual Periodicity
Definition
The frequency with which items are added to a collection.
Comment
Recommended practice is to use a value from the Collection Description Frequency Vocabulary [
DCMI-COLLFREQ
].
Range Includes
Has Domain
accrualPolicy
Property
More details
URI
Label
Accrual Policy
Definition
The policy governing the addition of items to a collection.
Comment
Recommended practice is to use a value from the Collection Description Accrual Policy Vocabulary [
DCMI-ACCRUALPOLICY
].
Range Includes
Has Domain
alternative
Property
More details
URI
Label
Alternative Title
Definition
An alternative name for the resource.
Comment
The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
Has Range
Subproperty of
Title
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/title)
Title
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/title)
audience
Property
More details
URI
Label
Audience
Definition
A class of agents for whom the resource is intended or useful.
Comment
Recommended practice is to use this property with non-literal values from a vocabulary of audience types.
Range Includes
available
Property
More details
URI
Label
Date Available
Definition
Date that the resource became or will become available.
Comment
Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
Has Range
Subproperty of
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
bibliographicCitation
Property
More details
URI
Label
Bibliographic Citation
Definition
A bibliographic reference for the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible.
Has Range
Subproperty of
Identifier
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/identifier)
Identifier
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/identifier)
conformsTo
Property
More details
URI
Label
Conforms To
Definition
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
contributor
Property
More details
URI
Label
Contributor
Definition
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource.
Comment
The guidelines for using names of persons or organizations as creators apply to contributors.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Contributor
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/contributor)
coverage
Property
More details
URI
Label
Coverage
Definition
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, spatial applicability of the resource, or jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant.
Comment
Spatial topic and spatial applicability may be a named place or a location specified by its geographic coordinates. Temporal topic may be a named period, date, or date range. A jurisdiction may be a named administrative entity or a geographic place to which the resource applies. Recommended practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names [
TGN
]. Where appropriate, named places or time periods may be used in preference to numeric identifiers such as sets of coordinates or date ranges. Because coverage is so broadly defined, it is preferable to use the more specific subproperties Temporal Coverage and Spatial Coverage.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Coverage
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/coverage)
created
Property
More details
URI
Label
Date Created
Definition
Date of creation of the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
Has Range
Subproperty of
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
creator
Property
More details
URI
Label
Creator
Definition
An entity responsible for making the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to identify the creator with a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a literal value that identifies the creator may be provided.
Range Includes
Equivalent Property
Subproperty of
Creator
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/creator)
Contributor
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/contributor)
date
Property
More details
URI
Label
Date
Definition
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource.
Comment
Date may be used to express temporal information at any level of granularity. Recommended practice is to express the date, date/time, or period of time according to ISO 8601-1 [
ISO 8601-1
] or a published profile of the ISO standard, such as the W3C Note on Date and Time Formats [
W3CDTF
] or the Extended Date/Time Format Specification [
EDTF
]. If the full date is unknown, month and year (YYYY-MM) or just year (YYYY) may be used. Date ranges may be specified using ISO 8601 period of time specification in which start and end dates are separated by a '/' (slash) character. Either the start or end date may be missing.
Has Range
Subproperty of
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
dateAccepted
Property
More details
URI
Label
Date Accepted
Definition
Date of acceptance of the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty. Examples of resources to which a date of acceptance may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
Has Range
Subproperty of
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
dateCopyrighted
Property
More details
URI
Label
Date Copyrighted
Definition
Date of copyright of the resource.
Comment
Typically a year. Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
Has Range
Subproperty of
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
dateSubmitted
Property
More details
URI
Label
Date Submitted
Definition
Date of submission of the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty. Examples of resources to which a 'Date Submitted' may be relevant include a thesis (submitted to a university department) or an article (submitted to a journal).
Has Range
Subproperty of
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
description
Property
More details
URI
Label
Description
Definition
An account of the resource.
Comment
Description may include but is not limited to: an abstract, a table of contents, a graphical representation, or a free-text account of the resource.
Subproperty of
Description
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/description)
educationLevel
Property
More details
URI
Label
Audience Education Level
Definition
A class of agents, defined in terms of progression through an educational or training context, for which the described resource is intended.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Audience
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/audience)
extent
Property
More details
URI
Label
Extent
Definition
The size or duration of the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to specify the file size in megabytes and duration in ISO 8601 format.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Format
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/format)
Format
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/format)
format
Property
More details
URI
Label
Format
Definition
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to use a controlled vocabulary where available. For example, for file formats one could use the list of Internet Media Types [
MIME
]. Examples of dimensions include size and duration.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Format
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/format)
hasFormat
Property
More details
URI
Label
Has Format
Definition
A related resource that is substantially the same as the pre-existing described resource, but in another format.
Comment
This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Is Format Of.
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
hasPart
Property
More details
URI
Label
Has Part
Definition
A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource.
Comment
This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Is Part Of.
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
hasVersion
Property
More details
URI
Label
Has Version
Definition
A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource.
Comment
Changes in version imply substantive changes in content rather than differences in format. This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Is Version Of.
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
identifier
Property
More details
URI
Label
Identifier
Definition
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context.
Comment
Recommended practice is to identify the resource by means of a string conforming to an identification system. Examples include International Standard Book Number (ISBN), Digital Object Identifier (DOI), and Uniform Resource Name (URN). Persistent identifiers should be provided as HTTP URIs.
Has Range
Subproperty of
Identifier
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/identifier)
instructionalMethod
Property
More details
URI
Label
Instructional Method
Definition
A process, used to engender knowledge, attitudes and skills, that the described resource is designed to support.
Comment
Instructional Method typically includes ways of presenting instructional materials or conducting instructional activities, patterns of learner-to-learner and learner-to-instructor interactions, and mechanisms by which group and individual levels of learning are measured. Instructional methods include all aspects of the instruction and learning processes from planning and implementation through evaluation and feedback.
Range Includes
isFormatOf
Property
More details
URI
Label
Is Format Of
Definition
A pre-existing related resource that is substantially the same as the described resource, but in another format.
Comment
This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Has Format.
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
isPartOf
Property
More details
URI
Label
Is Part Of
Definition
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Comment
This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Has Part.
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
isReferencedBy
Property
More details
URI
Label
Is Referenced By
Definition
A related resource that references, cites, or otherwise points to the described resource.
Comment
This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of References.
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
isReplacedBy
Property
More details
URI
Label
Is Replaced By
Definition
A related resource that supplants, displaces, or supersedes the described resource.
Comment
This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Replaces.
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
isRequiredBy
Property
More details
URI
Label
Is Required By
Definition
A related resource that requires the described resource to support its function, delivery, or coherence.
Comment
This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Requires.
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
issued
Property
More details
URI
Label
Date Issued
Definition
Date of formal issuance of the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
Has Range
Subproperty of
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
isVersionOf
Property
More details
URI
Label
Is Version Of
Definition
A related resource of which the described resource is a version, edition, or adaptation.
Comment
Changes in version imply substantive changes in content rather than differences in format. This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Has Version.
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
language
Property
More details
URI
Label
Language
Definition
A language of the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to use either a non-literal value representing a language from a controlled vocabulary such as ISO 639-2 or ISO 639-3, or a literal value consisting of an IETF Best Current Practice 47 [
IETF-BCP47
] language tag.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Language
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/language)
license
Property
More details
URI
Label
License
Definition
A legal document giving official permission to do something with the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to identify the license document with a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a literal value that identifies the license may be provided.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Rights
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/rights)
Rights
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/rights)
mediator
Property
More details
URI
Label
Mediator
Definition
An entity that mediates access to the resource.
Comment
In an educational context, a mediator might be a parent, teacher, teaching assistant, or care-giver.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Audience
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/audience)
medium
Property
More details
URI
Label
Medium
Definition
The material or physical carrier of the resource.
Range Includes
Domain Includes
Subproperty of
Format
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/format)
Format
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/format)
modified
Property
More details
URI
Label
Date Modified
Definition
Date on which the resource was changed.
Comment
Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
Has Range
Subproperty of
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
provenance
Property
More details
URI
Label
Provenance
Definition
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation.
Comment
The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Range Includes
publisher
Property
More details
URI
Label
Publisher
Definition
An entity responsible for making the resource available.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Publisher
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/publisher)
references
Property
More details
URI
Label
References
Definition
A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource.
Comment
This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Is Referenced By.
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
relation
Property
More details
URI
Label
Relation
Definition
A related resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to identify the related resource by means of a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a string conforming to a formal identification system may be provided.
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
replaces
Property
More details
URI
Label
Replaces
Definition
A related resource that is supplanted, displaced, or superseded by the described resource.
Comment
This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Is Replaced By.
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
requires
Property
More details
URI
Label
Requires
Definition
A related resource that is required by the described resource to support its function, delivery, or coherence.
Comment
This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Is Required By.
Subproperty of
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
rights
Property
More details
URI
Label
Rights
Definition
Information about rights held in and over the resource.
Comment
Typically, rights information includes a statement about various property rights associated with the resource, including intellectual property rights. Recommended practice is to refer to a rights statement with a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a literal value (name, label, or short text) may be provided.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Rights
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/rights)
rightsHolder
Property
More details
URI
Label
Rights Holder
Definition
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to refer to the rights holder with a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a literal value that identifies the rights holder may be provided.
Range Includes
source
Property
More details
URI
Label
Source
Definition
A related resource from which the described resource is derived.
Comment
This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. The described resource may be derived from the related resource in whole or in part. Best practice is to identify the related resource by means of a URI or a string conforming to a formal identification system.
Subproperty of
Source
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/source)
Relation
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
spatial
Property
More details
URI
Label
Spatial Coverage
Definition
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Coverage
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/coverage)
Coverage
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/coverage)
subject
Property
More details
URI
Label
Subject
Definition
A topic of the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to refer to the subject with a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a literal value that identifies the subject may be provided. Both should preferably refer to a subject in a controlled vocabulary.
Subproperty of
Subject
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/subject)
tableOfContents
Property
More details
URI
Label
Table Of Contents
Definition
A list of subunits of the resource.
Subproperty of
Description
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/description)
Description
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/description)
temporal
Property
More details
URI
Label
Temporal Coverage
Definition
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
Range Includes
Subproperty of
Coverage
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/coverage)
Coverage
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/coverage)
title
Property
More details
URI
Label
Title
Definition
A name given to the resource.
Has Range
Subproperty of
Title
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/title)
type
Property
More details
URI
Label
Type
Definition
The nature or genre of the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the DCMI Type Vocabulary [
DCMI-TYPE
]. To describe the file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource, use the property Format.
Subproperty of
Type
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/type)
valid
Property
More details
URI
Label
Date Valid
Definition
Date (often a range) of validity of a resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
Has Range
Subproperty of
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
Date
(http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
Section 3: Properties in the
/elements/1.1/
namespace
contributor
Property
More details
URI
Label
Contributor
Definition
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource.
Comment
The guidelines for using names of persons or organizations as creators also apply to contributors. Typically, the name of a Contributor should be used to indicate the entity.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
coverage
Property
More details
URI
Label
Coverage
Definition
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, spatial applicability of the resource, or jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant.
Comment
Spatial topic and spatial applicability may be a named place or a location specified by its geographic coordinates. Temporal topic may be a named period, date, or date range. A jurisdiction may be a named administrative entity or a geographic place to which the resource applies. Recommended practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names [
TGN
]. Where appropriate, named places or time periods may be used in preference to numeric identifiers such as sets of coordinates or date ranges.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
creator
Property
More details
URI
Label
Creator
Definition
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource.
Comment
Examples of a Creator include a person, an organization, or a service. Typically, the name of a Creator should be used to indicate the entity.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
date
Property
More details
URI
Label
Date
Definition
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource.
Comment
Date may be used to express temporal information at any level of granularity. Recommended practice is to express the date, date/time, or period of time according to ISO 8601-1 [
ISO 8601-1
] or a published profile of the ISO standard, such as the W3C Note on Date and Time Formats [
W3CDTF
] or the Extended Date/Time Format Specification [
EDTF
]. If the full date is unknown, month and year (YYYY-MM) or just year (YYYY) may be used. Date ranges may be specified using ISO 8601 period of time specification in which start and end dates are separated by a '/' (slash) character. Either the start or end date may be missing.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
description
Property
More details
URI
Label
Description
Definition
An account of the resource.
Comment
Description may include but is not limited to: an abstract, a table of contents, a graphical representation, or a free-text account of the resource.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
format
Property
More details
URI
Label
Format
Definition
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to use a controlled vocabulary where available. For example, for file formats one could use the list of Internet Media Types [
MIME
].
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
identifier
Property
More details
URI
Label
Identifier
Definition
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context.
Comment
Recommended practice is to identify the resource by means of a string conforming to an identification system.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
language
Property
More details
URI
Label
Language
Definition
A language of the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to use either a non-literal value representing a language from a controlled vocabulary such as ISO 639-2 or ISO 639-3, or a literal value consisting of an IETF Best Current Practice 47 [
IETF-BCP47
] language tag.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
publisher
Property
More details
URI
Label
Publisher
Definition
An entity responsible for making the resource available.
Comment
Examples of a Publisher include a person, an organization, or a service. Typically, the name of a Publisher should be used to indicate the entity.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
relation
Property
More details
URI
Label
Relation
Definition
A related resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to identify the related resource by means of a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a string conforming to a formal identification system may be provided.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
rights
Property
More details
URI
Label
Rights
Definition
Information about rights held in and over the resource.
Comment
Typically, rights information includes a statement about various property rights associated with the resource, including intellectual property rights.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
source
Property
More details
URI
Label
Source
Definition
A related resource from which the described resource is derived.
Comment
The described resource may be derived from the related resource in whole or in part. Recommended best practice is to identify the related resource by means of a string conforming to a formal identification system.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
subject
Property
More details
URI
Label
Subject
Definition
The topic of the resource.
Comment
Typically, the subject will be represented using keywords, key phrases, or classification codes. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
title
Property
More details
URI
Label
Title
Definition
A name given to the resource.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
type
Property
More details
URI
Label
Type
Definition
The nature or genre of the resource.
Comment
Recommended practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the DCMI Type Vocabulary [
DCMI-TYPE
]. To describe the file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource, use the Format element.
Note
second property
with the same name as this property has been declared in the
dcterms: namespace
. See the Introduction to the document
DCMI Metadata Terms
for an explanation.
Section 4: Vocabulary Encoding Schemes
DCMIType
Vocabulary Encoding Scheme
More details
URI
Label
DCMI Type Vocabulary
Definition
The set of classes specified by the DCMI Type Vocabulary, used to categorize the nature or genre of the resource.
See
DDC
Vocabulary Encoding Scheme
More details
URI
Label
DDC
Definition
The set of conceptual resources specified by the Dewey Decimal Classification.
See
IMT
Vocabulary Encoding Scheme
More details
URI
Label
IMT
Definition
The set of media types specified by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority.
See
LCC
Vocabulary Encoding Scheme
More details
URI
Label
LCC
Definition
The set of conceptual resources specified by the Library of Congress Classification.
See
LCSH
Vocabulary Encoding Scheme
More details
URI
Label
LCSH
Definition
The set of labeled concepts specified by the Library of Congress Subject Headings.
MESH
Vocabulary Encoding Scheme
More details
URI
Label
MeSH
Definition
The set of labeled concepts specified by the Medical Subject Headings.
See
NLM
Vocabulary Encoding Scheme
More details
URI
Label
NLM
Definition
The set of conceptual resources specified by the National Library of Medicine Classification.
See
TGN
Vocabulary Encoding Scheme
More details
URI
Label
TGN
Definition
The set of places specified by the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names.
See
UDC
Vocabulary Encoding Scheme
More details
URI
Label
UDC
Definition
The set of conceptual resources specified by the Universal Decimal Classification.
See
Section 5: Syntax Encoding Schemes
Box
Datatype
More details
URI
Label
DCMI Box
Definition
The set of regions in space defined by their geographic coordinates according to the DCMI Box Encoding Scheme.
See
ISO3166
Datatype
More details
URI
Label
ISO 3166
Definition
The set of codes listed in ISO 3166-1 for the representation of names of countries.
See
ISO639-2
Datatype
More details
URI
Label
ISO 639-2
Definition
The three-letter alphabetic codes listed in ISO639-2 for the representation of names of languages.
See
ISO639-3
Datatype
More details
URI
Label
ISO 639-3
Definition
The set of three-letter codes listed in ISO 639-3 for the representation of names of languages.
See
Period
Datatype
More details
URI
Label
DCMI Period
Definition
The set of time intervals defined by their limits according to the DCMI Period Encoding Scheme.
See
Point
Datatype
More details
URI
Label
DCMI Point
Definition
The set of points in space defined by their geographic coordinates according to the DCMI Point Encoding Scheme.
See
RFC1766
Datatype
More details
URI
Label
RFC 1766
Definition
The set of tags, constructed according to RFC 1766, for the identification of languages.
See
RFC3066
Datatype
More details
URI
Label
RFC 3066
Definition
The set of tags constructed according to RFC 3066 for the identification of languages.
Comment
RFC 3066 has been obsoleted by RFC 4646.
See
RFC4646
Datatype
More details
URI
Label
RFC 4646
Definition
The set of tags constructed according to RFC 4646 for the identification of languages.
Comment
RFC 4646 obsoletes RFC 3066.
See
RFC5646
Datatype
More details
URI
Label
RFC 5646
Definition
The set of tags constructed according to RFC 5646 for the identification of languages.
Comment
RFC 5646 obsoletes RFC 4646.
See
URI
Datatype
More details
URI
Label
URI
Definition
The set of identifiers constructed according to the generic syntax for Uniform Resource Identifiers as specified by the Internet Engineering Task Force.
See
W3CDTF
Datatype
More details
URI
Label
W3C-DTF
Definition
The set of dates and times constructed according to the W3C Date and Time Formats Specification.
See
Section 6: Classes
Agent
Class
More details
URI
Label
Agent
Definition
A resource that acts or has the power to act.
Instance Of
AgentClass
Class
More details
URI
Label
Agent Class
Definition
A group of agents.
Subclass of
BibliographicResource
Class
More details
URI
Label
Bibliographic Resource
Definition
A book, article, or other documentary resource.
FileFormat
Class
More details
URI
Label
File Format
Definition
A digital resource format.
Subclass of
Frequency
Class
More details
URI
Label
Frequency
Definition
A rate at which something recurs.
Jurisdiction
Class
More details
URI
Label
Jurisdiction
Definition
The extent or range of judicial, law enforcement, or other authority.
Subclass of
LicenseDocument
Class
More details
URI
Label
License Document
Definition
A legal document giving official permission to do something with a resource.
Subclass of
LinguisticSystem
Class
More details
URI
Label
Linguistic System
Definition
A system of signs, symbols, sounds, gestures, or rules used in communication.
Comment
Written, spoken, sign, and computer languages are linguistic systems.
Location
Class
More details
URI
Label
Location
Definition
A spatial region or named place.
Subclass of
LocationPeriodOrJurisdiction
Class
More details
URI
Label
Location, Period, or Jurisdiction
Definition
A location, period of time, or jurisdiction.
MediaType
Class
More details
URI
Label
Media Type
Definition
A file format or physical medium.
Subclass of
MediaTypeOrExtent
Class
More details
URI
Label
Media Type or Extent
Definition
A media type or extent.
MethodOfAccrual
Class
More details
URI
Label
Method of Accrual
Definition
A method by which resources are added to a collection.
MethodOfInstruction
Class
More details
URI
Label
Method of Instruction
Definition
A process that is used to engender knowledge, attitudes, and skills.
PeriodOfTime
Class
More details
URI
Label
Period of Time
Definition
An interval of time that is named or defined by its start and end dates.
Subclass of
PhysicalMedium
Class
More details
URI
Label
Physical Medium
Definition
A physical material or carrier.
Comment
Examples include paper, canvas, or DVD.
Subclass of
PhysicalResource
Class
More details
URI
Label
Physical Resource
Definition
A material thing.
Policy
Class
More details
URI
Label
Policy
Definition
A plan or course of action by an authority, intended to influence and determine decisions, actions, and other matters.
ProvenanceStatement
Class
More details
URI
Label
Provenance Statement
Definition
Any changes in ownership and custody of a resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation.
RightsStatement
Class
More details
URI
Label
Rights Statement
Definition
A statement about the intellectual property rights (IPR) held in or over a resource, a legal document giving official permission to do something with a resource, or a statement about access rights.
SizeOrDuration
Class
More details
URI
Label
Size or Duration
Definition
A dimension or extent, or a time taken to play or execute.
Comment
Examples include a number of pages, a specification of length, width, and breadth, or a period in hours, minutes, and seconds.
Subclass of
Standard
Class
More details
URI
Label
Standard
Definition
A reference point against which other things can be evaluated or compared.
Section 7: DCMI Type Vocabulary
Collection
Class
More details
URI
Label
Collection
Definition
An aggregation of resources.
Comment
A collection is described as a group; its parts may also be separately described.
Member Of
Dataset
Class
More details
URI
Label
Dataset
Definition
Data encoded in a defined structure.
Comment
Examples include lists, tables, and databases. A dataset may be useful for direct machine processing.
Member Of
Event
Class
More details
URI
Label
Event
Definition
A non-persistent, time-based occurrence.
Comment
Metadata for an event provides descriptive information that is the basis for discovery of the purpose, location, duration, and responsible agents associated with an event. Examples include an exhibition, webcast, conference, workshop, open day, performance, battle, trial, wedding, tea party, conflagration.
Member Of
Image
Class
More details
URI
Label
Image
Definition
A visual representation other than text.
Comment
Examples include images and photographs of physical objects, paintings, prints, drawings, other images and graphics, animations and moving pictures, film, diagrams, maps, musical notation. Note that Image may include both electronic and physical representations.
Member Of
InteractiveResource
Class
More details
URI
Label
Interactive Resource
Definition
A resource requiring interaction from the user to be understood, executed, or experienced.
Comment
Examples include forms on Web pages, applets, multimedia learning objects, chat services, or virtual reality environments.
Member Of
MovingImage
Class
More details
URI
Label
Moving Image
Definition
A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession.
Comment
Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Instances of the type Moving Image must also be describable as instances of the broader type Image.
Member Of
Subclass of
PhysicalObject
Class
More details
URI
Label
Physical Object
Definition
An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance.
Comment
Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Image, Text or one of the other types.
Member Of
Service
Class
More details
URI
Label
Service
Definition
A system that provides one or more functions.
Comment
Examples include a photocopying service, a banking service, an authentication service, interlibrary loans, a Z39.50 or Web server.
Member Of
Software
Class
More details
URI
Label
Software
Definition
A computer program in source or compiled form.
Comment
Examples include a C source file, MS-Windows .exe executable, or Perl script.
Member Of
Sound
Class
More details
URI
Label
Sound
Definition
A resource primarily intended to be heard.
Comment
Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds.
Member Of
StillImage
Class
More details
URI
Label
Still Image
Definition
A static visual representation.
Comment
Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Instances of the type Still Image must also be describable as instances of the broader type Image.
Member Of
Subclass of
Text
Class
More details
URI
Label
Text
Definition
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Comment
Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Member Of
Section 8: Terms for vocabulary description
domainIncludes
Property
More details
URI
Label
Domain Includes
Definition
A suggested class for subjects of this property.
memberOf
Property
More details
URI
Label
Member Of
Definition
A relationship between a resource and a vocabulary encoding scheme which indicates that the resource is a member of a set.
Has Range
See
rangeIncludes
Property
More details
URI
Label
Range Includes
Definition
A suggested class for values of this property.
VocabularyEncodingScheme
Class
More details
URI
Label
Vocabulary Encoding Scheme
Definition
An enumerated set of resources.
See
Section 9: Bibliography
[DCMI-ACCRUALMETHOD]
Collection Description Accrual Method Vocabulary. URL:
[DCMI-ACCRUALPOLICY]
Collection Description Accrual Policy Vocabulary. URL:
[DCMI-COLLFREQ]
Collection Description Frequency Vocabulary. URL:
[DCMI-TYPE]
DCMI Type Vocabulary. URL:
[EDTF]
Extended Date/Time Format Specification. URL:
[IETF-BCP47]
Best Current Practice 47: Tags for Identifying Languages. URL:
[ISO8601-1]
ISO 8601-1, Date and time — Representations for information interchange — Part 1: Basic rules. URL:
[MIME]
Internet Media Types. URL:
[TGN]
Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names. URL:
[W3CDTF]
W3C Note on Date and Time Formats. URL: