Metadata and Data Quality Problems in the Digital Library

by Jeffrey Beall [email protected] University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Downtown Denver Campus Abstract This paper describes the main types of data quality errors that occur in digital libraries, both in full-text objects and in metadata. Studying these errors is important because they can block access to online documents and because digital libraries should eliminate errors where possible. Some types of common errors include typographical errors, scanning and data conversion errors, and find and replace errors. Errors in metadata can also hinder access in digital libraries. The paper also discusses the responsibility for errors in digital documents and offers suggestions for managing digital library data quality.