Common Metadata Elements for Cataloging Biomedical Datasets

This dataset outlines a proposed set of core, minimal metadata elements that can be used to describe biomedical datasets, such as those resulting from research funded by the National Institutes of Health. It can inform efforts to better catalog or index such data to improve discoverability. The proposed metadata elements are based on an analysis of the metadata schemas used in a set of NIH-supported data sharing repositories. Common elements from these data repositories were identified, mapped to existing data-specific metadata standards from to existing multidisciplinary data repositories, DataCite and Dryad, and compared with metadata used in MEDLINE records to establish a sustainable and integrated metadata schema. From the mappings, we developed a preliminary set of minimal metadata elements that can be used to describe NIH-funded datasets. Please see the readme file for more details about the individual sheets within the spreadsheet.