Comparative Analysis of Metadata Models on e-Government Open Data Platforms

E-government open data platforms use metadata to provide an adequate environment for the consumption of data released on these platforms. Metadata enable the machine processing of information in a structured manner. Given that it reveals details and context about data, metadata allow interpretation in unique way and offer semantics for open government data. This paper presents an overview and analysis of four metadata models used in contemporary e-government open data platforms. We illustrate the strengths and limitations of these models through aspects and principles of open data defined in the paper by proposing metadata quality assessment model. Moreover, we examine how metadata structure is oriented toward the provision of valuable information assets needed for the utilization of open government data. Finally, we give an overview of available API support on the selected open data platforms for the provision and reuse of open data. The research results indicate that more attention should be paid to metadata to uncover relationships between datasets.