There are many specifications on how to define data elements. If one hopes to share metadata descriptions with other organizations and entities (interoperability), then it's best to follow an established set of guidelines in setting up and defining metadata elements. A commonly understood framework allows diverse groups to appreciate, even harvest, data from each other.

In its underlying structure, UMAP employs a modified standard for describing data elements used in databases and documents. It is called ISO/IEC 11179: Specification and Standardization of Data Elements. Technically speaking, UMAP is considered to be "cognizant of ISO/IEC 11179." In using this standard, each metadata element (descriptor) has specific attributes or characteristics that define the meaning and use of that element.

Most end-users are unaware of any underlying structures for a metadata schema. Those who mark up or create metadata descriptions are immersed in the attributes of metadata fields. To better understand the Utah Metadata Application Profile, we offer the following table of data attributes. Within the User Guides for UMAP, each metadata element is defined, using the ISO/IEC 11179 attributes to structure the UMAP specification.

UMAP-ISO/IEC 11179 Data Element Attributes

NAME	The actual name of the descriptor or element.
DEFINITION	A brief definition of the descriptor or element. Guidelines for understanding how to use an individual element from UMAP are described under the attribute Guidelines for Usage.
REFINEMENTS & ENCODING SCHEMES	In order to better control the terms and descriptions used while cataloging, some metadata elements can exploit ways to refine or "encode/enter" your data, using formal notations, vocabularies or parsing rules. Use an "authority file" from another agency that specifies how to properly enter descriptive information for a type of metadata element. It may provide taxonomies of terms organized into logical hierarchies, such as the Library of Congress "subject" terms. Use a short listing of prescribed terms, often called a "controlled vocabulary." The best practice is to select a term or terms from a picklist. The picklist insures consistency in data entry. Follow a particular syntax, punctuation or grammar when entering data, e.g., LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Credentials. Controlling the descriptions entered for a metadata element ultimately means that end users are able to conduct successful searches for relevant media items.
GUIDELINES FOR USAGE	The Guidelines are a brief user's guide to understanding UMAP, its elements, their intended meanings, and the proper way to use them when entering data or cataloging.
OBLIGATION TO USE	A metadata element does NOT necessarily have to be used or contain data when cataloging a media item. The "Obligation to Use" a metadata element is defined by these options... MANDATORY: must use MANDATORY IF APPLICABLE: must use if it makes sense for a media item OPTIONAL: completely up to you RECOMMENDED: UMAP thinks it is a good idea to enter data for this element
REPEATABLE ELEMENT	Some metadata schemes, such as the Dublin Core, suggest if you need to catalog more than one term or data entry for a single element, you repeat the instance of an element, each instance having a different term. For example, the element alternativeModes may have two entries, one for "SAP1 - Spanish" and one for "ClosedCaption - English." This attribute may be defined as REPEATABLE, UNBOUNDED, MINIMUM OCCURENCE, MAXIMUM OCCURENCE, or may actually use a number.
TYPE OF DATA ENTRY	Any database designer must indicate what type of data is permitted for a field. The type of data permitted is often defined as TEXT STRING, NUMBER, INTEGER, DATE, DATETIME, TIME, CHAR, etc. UMAP uses relatively few data entry types. Most are text strings. Even the metadata elements which contain date/time stamps are considered to be text strings because of our use of the W3C-DTF encoding rules for dates and times, a profile based on ISO 8601. http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-datetime
EXAMPLES	To illustrate the proper use of an element, UMAP provides many real world examples, particulary when the definition for an element is rather dense or confusing.
ELEMENT LABEL	(Administrative Attribute) Usually the attribute called Name and the attribute called Label are the same. The Label is used to indicate the exact manner in which an element is referenced. As a cataloger, you can ignore this attribute.
ELEMENT VERSION	(Administrative Attribute) While developing metadata, several versions of elements or the meaning attached to them will change over time. Like software editions that are released, Element Version indicates the version you are viewing (hopefully, the most recent version). As a cataloger, you can ignore this attribute.
NAMESPACE IDENTIFIER	(Administrative Attribute) http://library.csun.edu/mwoodley/ dublincoreglossary.html A unique name that identifies an organization that has developed an XML Schema. A namespace is identified via a Uniform Resource Identifier (a URL or URN). For example, the namespace for Dublin Core elements and qualifiers would be expressed respectively in XML as: xmlns:dc = "http://dublincore.org/elements/1.0/" xmlns:dcq = "http://dublincore.org/qualifiers/1.0/" > The use of namespaces allows the definition of an element to be unambiguously identified with a URI, even though the label "title" alone might occur in many metadata sets. In more general terms, one can think of any closed set of names as a namespace. Thus, a controlled vocabulary such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings, a set of metadata elements such as DC, or the set of all URLs in a given domain can be thought of as a namespace that is managed by the authority that is in charge of that particular set of terms. As a cataloger, you can ignore this attribute.
REGISTRATION AUTHORITY	(Administrative Attribute) http://library.csun.edu/mwoodley/ dublincoreglossary.html A system to provide management of metadata elements. Metadata registries are formal systems that provide authoritative information about the semantics and structure of data elements. Each element will include the definition of the element, the qualifiers associated with it, mappings to multilingual versions and elements in other schema. A registration authority facilitates the consistent use of a metadata element by all parties and communities. It also contributes to the longevity of a metadata element as it maintains its integrity over time. As a cataloger, you can ignore this attribute.
LANGUAGE OF THE ELEMENT	(Administrative Attribute) Depending on the Registration Authority for a metadata element or its country of origination and usage, the language used to define an element is indicated. For UMAP, the Language is expected to be English and uses the designation "eng" in our definition of the UMAP schema. Standards exist to express languages in either two-letter or three-letter codes. This attribute, "Language of the Element," refers to the language used to define the element and has nothing to do with the language used in the media item you are cataloging. A descriptor called language is often used to identify the primary language of a media item. ISO-639-2: Codes for the representation of names of languages as a 3-letter code. http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2 As a cataloger, you can ignore this attribute.