About the Documentation
These benchmarks and other documentation were produced by the Metadata Quality Benchmarks Sub-Group, which was formed in 2018 within the DLF-AIG (Digital Library Federation Assessment Interest Groups) Metadata Working Group.
Work in this space included a survey of digital libraries regarding metadata field usage and metadata quality activities and needs. The survey and data have been publicly released, along with an initial white paper summarizing general data and a paper documenting certain findings in more depth. Information is available on the main Metadata Working Group website.
Review of Benchmarks Documentation
These benchmarks are maintained in a GitHub repository. Suggestions, corrections, questions, etc. specifically about the content of the benchmarks may be submitted as issues in the repository (this does require a GitHub account): https://github.com/DLFMetadataAssessment/MetadataQualityBenchmarks/
There is currently no plan for a formal revision schedule, however, any submitted issues will be reviewed by Metadata Working Group members and addressed based on consensus. Additional documentation may be added as time permits, according to needs expressed by comments or group members.
Acknowledgements
A number of people were involved with the development of this documentation from 2018 through the public release in 2025.
Special thanks to Rachel Wittmann and Andrea Pyant who spearheaded initial efforts and set up the survey through the University of Utah IRB.
We also appreciate the participation of survey respondents and the peer reviewers who assisted in providing specific feedback on earlier drafts of this work. This could not have been completed without input from the community.
Contact
More information about the Metadata Working Group may be found on this wiki page.
Current leadership information for the Group is listed on the DLF group page.