Table of Contents

HOWTO Create your own metadata sets

Metadata Management feature

Metadata Management action What it does Why it matters
Browse available metadata formats Open My Workspace → Metadata Management to view existing formats grouped by governance level: Standard, Personal, and Community. This gives you a clear overview of what already exists before creating something new.
Search and sort existing formats Use the available search and sorting tools to explore metadata formats more efficiently. It helps you identify relevant formats faster and avoids unnecessary duplication.
Inspect an existing format Open an existing metadata format to review its fields, data types, and structure before deciding whether to reuse or adapt it. This helps you understand whether a format already covers your needs and supports consistency across projects.
Reuse an existing structure Before creating a new format, review existing templates and expand their field definitions to see whether one can be reused directly or duplicated. Reusing established structures improves interoperability, keeps metadata more coherent across teams, and reduces redundant work.
Create a new metadata format If no available format matches your needs, use + New Metadata Format to start a new reusable metadata template. This is especially useful for advanced users and projects with domain-specific description requirements.

Creating a metadata set: complete workflow

Metadata creation action What it does Why it matters
Open Metadata Management Go to My Workspace → Metadata Management, then stay in the Metadata Sets Format tab. This is the workspace where metadata formats are created and managed. It centralises all metadata templates in one area and makes governance levels immediately visible.
Start a new metadata format Click + New Metadata Format to launch the creation wizard for a new reusable metadata template. This is the entry point for building a format that can later be reused when describing Marketplace resources.
Step 1
Enter main information In Step 1 – Main information, fill in the Name field (required) and optionally add a Description explaining the purpose of the format. A clear name and description make the format easier to recognise, maintain, and reuse later.
Choose the governance level In the same first step, choose whether the metadata format is Personal, Community, or Standard. Governance level determines whether the format is meant only for you, for a research community, or as a broader platform reference.
Step 2
Choose how to start In Step 2 – Creation mode, choose between Create from scratch or Duplicate Metadata. This defines whether you want to design the structure entirely yourself or start from an existing template.
Create from scratch Select Create from scratch when you want to define all fields manually from the beginning. This is useful when your project has very specific metadata needs not covered by existing models.
Duplicate an existing format Select Duplicate Metadata when you want to reuse all or part of an existing format, such as a recognised structure like Dublin Core, and adapt it. Duplication saves time and keeps your structure aligned with already accepted metadata practices.
Expand and select fields from an existing format In duplication mode, expand an existing format and use Add all or select specific fields to include them in your new metadata format draft. This lets you inherit useful field structures without having to recreate them manually.
Step 3
Define the metadata fields In Step 3 – Metadata Set Definition, add the fields that will be used later to describe resources. For each field, define at least a Name and a Type / datatype. These fields form the actual structure of your metadata format and determine what information users will later provide.
Set field names Give each field a clear and meaningful Name. Good field names improve usability and help future contributors understand what kind of data is expected.
Choose the datatype Assign a Type / datatype to each field, such as text or date. Datatypes ensure that information is entered in a consistent and technically valid way.
Add a controlled vocabulary Where relevant, define a controlled vocabulary for a field so that users can select from predefined values instead of entering free text. Controlled vocabularies improve consistency, reduce ambiguity, and make later filtering or reuse more reliable.
Add a field description Add a short explanatory description for each field when needed. Field descriptions help users understand what the field means and what kind of information should be entered.
Step 4
Preview the metadata format In Step 4 – Preview and Save, review the complete table of field names, data types, and descriptions before saving. Previewing helps you detect structural problems or inconsistencies before the format is stored as a draft.
Save the format as a draft Click Save to store the new metadata format. After saving, the system creates it as a Draft in My Contributions. Saving as a draft lets you continue working safely without publishing the format immediately.
After the draft creation
Open My Contributions Go to My Workspace → My Contributions → Metadata to access your newly saved metadata drafts. This separates work-in-progress formats from submitted ones and makes moderation status easy to track.
View the draft Open the draft in read-only mode to inspect all its fields and structure. Viewing the draft lets you verify what was saved before making more changes or submitting it.
Edit the draft Reopen the draft in edit mode to refine names, datatypes, vocabularies, or descriptions. Draft mode supports iteration and lets you improve the format before submitting it for review.
Send the draft to moderation In the My Metadata Drafts list, click Send to moderation and confirm in the dialog. This changes the format from a private working version into a submission ready for review.
Move to Waiting for approval After submission, the metadata format status becomes Waiting for approval. This makes it clear that the format is no longer just a personal draft and is now in the review phase.
Monitor the moderation status In My Contributions → Metadata, use the status dropdown to track whether the submitted metadata format is Waiting for approval, Approved, or Rejected. Status tracking helps you understand what stage the format is in and what your next action should be.
Review moderation outcome Moderators can evaluate submitted formats and either Approve or Reject them. This controlled step ensures that reusable metadata formats remain coherent and fit platform standards.
Revise a rejected format If the format is Rejected, it remains visible to you and returns as a draft when you required to edit it. After you will be able to submit it again when ready. Rejection does not block the workflow permanently; it supports improvement and quality control.
Use an approved format Once approved, the metadata format becomes reusable in Metadata Management and is available when describing Marketplace resources. Approval turns your custom format into a stable template that can support repeated, consistent metadata entry.
Select the approved format in Marketplace When creating or editing a Marketplace resource, go to Step 3 – Metadata management, choose the metadata type (Standard, Personal, or Community), select the approved format, and fill in its fields. This is where the metadata format becomes operational and starts structuring real resource descriptions.

Metadata format lifecycle

Status What it means What you can do next
Draft The metadata format has been created and saved, but not yet submitted for moderation. View it, edit it, and improve it before submission.
Waiting for approval The metadata format has been sent to moderation and is awaiting review. Track its status and wait for moderator action.
Approved The metadata format has passed moderation and is now reusable in Metadata Management and Marketplace workflows. Select it when creating or editing Marketplace resources.
Rejected The metadata format was reviewed but not accepted in its current form. Revise the draft and resubmit it when ready.

Good practices

Good practice What it means Why it matters
Check existing formats before creating a new one Search, sort, and inspect available metadata formats before starting from scratch. This reduces duplication and encourages consistency across the platform.
Use duplication when possible Start from an existing metadata format and adapt it instead of rebuilding everything manually. It saves time and keeps your format closer to accepted standards.
Write clear field names and descriptions Make each field understandable for future users. A readable format is easier to reuse and less likely to generate inconsistent data.
Use controlled vocabularies where useful Restrict certain fields to predefined values instead of free text. This improves data quality, comparability, and later filtering.
Preview before saving Review all field definitions and datatypes before storing the format as a draft. This helps catch mistakes early and reduces unnecessary revisions later.