Dublin Core: Format

Having officially submitted my ranked list of Dublin Core elements to our professor for assignment, I was more than a little surprised about some of the less obvious ones that managed to squirm their way up toward the top of my list. Date, as I discussed last blog, ended up being my first choice, but the equally unexpected Format element did not follow too far behind. Now when you normally hear the word "format" in the Digital Age, the idea of specific types of computer files is probably something that comes to mind - Word documents, Powerpoint presentations, mp3s, mpegs, and jpegs all being notable examples we encounter daily. It's a safe bet that a Format element is likely to include this type of technical information, but as I discovered, it also goes beyond that in its task of helping to describe the nature of an informational resource.

The Dublin Core Format element aids metadata creators in providing a location for the specific physical and digital qualities an information resource to be described. For digital items, this includes details such as: file formats, programming languages, file sizes, digital dimensions (i.e. resolution), and encoding standards. When describing physical materials, Format would similarly describe information such as: physical dimensions, duration, and the specific medium carrying the resource (i.e. audio cassette, 35mm photograph). Like many of the Dublin Core elements, Format also has several refinements, or qualifiers, that can enable a greater specificity in the level of description, including: IMT (Internet Media Type), Extent, and Medium.

While this type of description may seem to be more on the mundane side than something like the Subject tag, it nevertheless still plays a vital role in the information that it conveys to users. Knowledge of specific file formats or encoding standards, for example, can alert users to the need for certain types of software in order to access the desired information resource. Description of the physical extent or medium for an item can similarly help a user decide whether a specific information object adequately fits criteria they are looking for. Format is thus a fairly integral aspect of describing both digital and physical materials, and an intriguing possibility to work with.