Minimum requirements for metadata for authoritative records and information

Authoritative records and information

To be considered authoritative, records and information must include specific metadata (data about the data) that describes:

• Content: What the records contain.
• Structure: The format and layout of the records.
• Business Context: The circumstances under which the records were created, received, and used.
• Relationships: How the records relate to other records and information.
• Actions and events: The business activities connected to the records.
• Retrieval information: Data needed to find and present the records.

This metadata needs to be stored in systems and updated whenever changes occur to keep the records accurate over time.

Organisations can apply this minimum metadata set to entire systems (like a software program that manages all records the same way) or to specific records and groups of records (like files in an electronic document and records management system (EDRMS)).

Many traditional recordkeeping systems, such as EDRMS, automatically keep the minimum metadata needed. For others, organisations must decide how and at what level to capture and maintain this metadata.

The AS/NZS 5478:2015 Recordkeeping Metadata Property Reference Set (RMPRS) provides a standard for recordkeeping metadata to ensure that systems can work together and that records remain accessible. State Records NSW has used the RMPRS when compiling the minimum metadata set required for authoritative records in the NSW public sector. 

The metadata outlined here is the basic information needed for authoritative records and information. Organisations may choose to add more metadata to better serve their own information requirements or to establish better context for their records.  

Metadata must describe the content of records and information

To be considered reliable, records and information need to include metadata that explains their content. Without this, the records are not seen as authoritative.

For documents, this could be something like a title or a summary. For data in systems, it could be details about the system's purpose and how it is used.

Example: Email subject lines

The subject line of an email should give a clear idea of what the email is about. If it doesn’t, and the email is saved in a system like a document management system, the email should be given a more suitable and descriptive title. 

Metadata must capture the business context of records and information

To be reliable, records and information need metadata that explains the business context in which they were created, received, and used. This helps ensure the records can be understood, trusted, and reused in the future. Without this, the records are not considered authoritative.

This metadata should include details like:

• who created the records
• why they were created
• when they were created or received
• how they have been used and managed.

Example: Business systems provide context

In systems that process standard transactions, the context (how and why records were created) can come from the system itself and its documentation. Keeping information about how the system worked and was used helps maintain the business context of the records over time.

Metadata must capture business actions and events

For records to be reliable, metadata needs to track business actions and events related to those records throughout their lifecycle. This includes recording when actions happened, who made changes, and what was changed. Without this information, records can't be trusted or considered authoritative.

Example: Social media posts

Many organisations use social media. When saving records of these activities, it's important to note when a post was approved, published, edited, commented on, or deleted. The metadata should clearly show who performed each action and when.