Fundamentals of Metadata Management with the MAST & IDEAL Methodology

Fundamentals of Metadata Management with the MAST & IDEAL Methodology

Fundamentals of MAST & IDEAL Metadata is a short-course in the MAST/IDEAL Methodology, a pragmatic framework for building understanding and organisational support for data management through good processes rather than specific tools or standards.

The MAST/IDEAL Methodology is a standards-agnostic and tools-independent approach that supports existing frameworks such as the Data Management Body of Knowledge and DDI Data Lifecycle, which focus on an expert audience. The MAST Methdology complements this by providing a step-by-step guide on how practitioners across the whole organisation can develop the skills and culture to perform these tasks.

Learning objectives for the course include:

• Understanding the principles of the MAST (Metadata-Analysis-Standards-Teamwork) Manifesto
• Understand the stages in the IDEAL (Inventory-Document-Endorse-Audit-Leadership) Framework
• How to communicate and promote the importance of metadata for a range of audiences - from researcher and data staff to the administrative and executive level \
• How to identify skills for specialist teams to develop a culture of metadata peer review to support modern data governance
• How to communicate steps and focus effort in data documentation and governance to maximise success in data initiatives
• How to identify appropriate metadata standards and software for successful data projects

Analogous to the Agile Methodology for Project Management, The MAST Methodology is designed to democratise Data Management, by making it easier for all users across the organisation to understand their roles in data governance and metadata management. Developed by Aristotle Metadata, the MAST Methodology was developed across projects with the health informatics and government sectors, and describes specific beliefs and behaviours of organisations that have implemented successful data governance programs. This Methodology has developed and published as a tools-agnostic creative-commons methodology (https://www.aristotlemetadata.com/about/mast-methodology), and can be implemented by organisations without a requirement for specific software or standards.