Cross-Referencing Metadata Through an Extension of the MEDFORD Language

Polina Shpilker, Benjamin Stubbs, Michael Sayers, Lenore Cowen, Shaun Wallace, Alva L. Couch, Noah M. Daniels

Abstract: Research metadata is difficult to annotate yet critical for research replication and data re-usability. A language called MEDFORD has been previously designed to make the process of writing metadata approachable for non-software focused researchers, but we have identified several flaws that make it difficult to thoroughly and accurately describe research metadata. We propose an extension to the MEDFORD metadata language to support relationships between metadata objects, as well as to reference other MEDFORD files, such that objects can be defined in a singular file and re-used throughout multiple files.