Administrative and Payload Metadata

The differentiation between Administrative metadata and Payload metadata lies primarily in how changes to the metadata content drive version changes.

Administrative metadata is content that is related to the interaction or use of the metadata within a specific system. Changes in administrative metadata do not change the meaning of the metadata content of the object in terms of its DDI identification or intellectual meaning. For example, the addition of a local User Identification to facilitate interaction between the metadata object and local access software, or creating a URN entry from existing identification sequence content are considered to be changes to the Administrative metadata. A change in Administrative metadata does not trigger a change in the version number of a published object.

Payload metadata is all metadata NOT defined as Administrative. Payload metadata contains intellectual content that has an impact on the meaning or application of the object. A change in Payload metadata generally triggers a change in the version number of a published object.