Tracing the traces: The critical role of metadata within networked communications
Tracing the traces: The critical role of metadata within networked communications
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DOI：
10.1002/asi.23927
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发表时间：
2018-01-01
影响因子：
3.5
通讯作者：
Acker, Amelia
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Mayernik, Matthew S.;Acker, Amelia
传统上，信息科学一直是以元数据为重点的研究的中心。2013年6月，爱德华·斯诺登（Edward Snowden）披露的美国国家安全局（NSA）情报文件使元数据一词进入公众意识。令人惊讶的是，在信息科学中很少有关于元数据在网络通信系统中的性质和重要性的讨论。数字元数据的收集影响了人们体验社会和技术交流的方式。没有这样的元数据，网络通信就不可能存在。美国国家安全局的泄密，以及最近对企业和政府通信的大量黑客攻击，都指向元数据作为新的学术研究对象。如果我们要对我们的数字痕迹进行有意义的讨论，或者对新政策和技术做出明智的决定，那么就必须制定解释数字元数据的理论和经验框架。这份意见书提出了数字网络中元数据的5个关键社会技术特征，这些特征将受益于信息科学的更强参与。
The information sciences have traditionally been at the center of metadata-focused research. The US National Security Agency (NSA) intelligence documents revealed by Edward Snowden in June of 2013 brought the term metadata into the public consciousness. Surprisingly little discussion in the information sciences has since occurred on the nature and importance of metadata within networked communication systems. The collection of digital metadata impacts the ways that people experience social and technical communication. Without such metadata, networked communication cannot exist. The NSA leaks, and numerous recent hacks of corporate and government communications, point to metadata as objects of new scholarly inquiry. If we are to engage in meaningful discussions about our digital traces, or make informed decisions about new policies and technologies, it is essential to develop theoretical and empirical frameworks that account for digital metadata. This opinion paper presents 5 key sociotechnical characteristics of metadata within digital networks that would benefit from stronger engagement by the information sciences.