1.0 Introduction

Resource description has emerged as a challenge that impedes resource discovery even though network technologies have lowered other challenges including geographical barriers. This is because resource discovery varies depending on the structure, type and content of resource and with the interests of the information keepers. Further, complex needs of users require domain specific information systems to be queried in parallel to enable access to distributed information archives. To meet such demands, there is a need for a framework that would allow information access regardless of the above-mentioned barriers. The Dublin core initiative is a potential example of such a format because of its characteristics that distinguish it as a prime candidate for resource description and primary resource discovery.

The report first provides the overall context for the metadata framework; why the standard is needed; how the work was done, and then offers thoughts on the way forward from here. Section 4 provides the elements and qualifiers of the proposed standard presented in a hierarchical structure. The hierarchical structure offers a flexible framework to implement the proposed standard at different levels of granularity, depending on the how rich each metadata source is. In its simplest form, metadata can even be supplied at the most general level of 13 core fields. A more detailed description of all the elements and the qualifiers, including information on definitions, rules, and data typing is presented in a paper at the FAO website^[2].