DCMI Metadata Terms

Title: DCMI Metadata Terms
Creator: DCMI Usage Board
Identifier: http://dublincore.org/specifications/dublin-core/dcmi-terms/2020-01-20/
Date Issued: 2020-01-20
Latest Version: https://www.dublincore.org/specifications/dublin-core/dcmi-terms/
Version History: https://www.dublincore.org/specifications/dublin-core/dcmi-terms/release_history/
Document Status: This is a DCMI Recommendation.
Description: This document is an up-to-date specification of all metadata terms maintained by the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative, including properties, vocabulary encoding schemes, syntax encoding schemes, and classes.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction and Definitions
  2. Properties in the /terms/ namespace
  3. Properties in the /elements/1.1/ namespace
  4. Vocabulary Encoding Schemes
  5. Syntax Encoding Schemes
  6. Classes
  7. DCMI Type Vocabulary
  8. Terms for vocabulary description
  9. Bibliography

Index of Terms

Properties in the /terms/ namespace: abstract, accessRights, accrualMethod, accrualPeriodicity, accrualPolicy, alternative, audience, available, bibliographicCitation, conformsTo, contributor, coverage, created, creator, date, dateAccepted, dateCopyrighted, dateSubmitted, description, educationLevel, extent, format, hasFormat, hasPart, hasVersion, identifier, instructionalMethod, isFormatOf, isPartOf, isReferencedBy, isReplacedBy, isRequiredBy, issued, isVersionOf, language, license, mediator, medium, modified, provenance, publisher, references, relation, replaces, requires, rights, rightsHolder, source, spatial, subject, tableOfContents, temporal, title, type, valid
Properties in the /elements/1.1/ namespace: contributor, coverage, creator, date, description, format, identifier, language, publisher, relation, rights, source, subject, title, type
Vocabulary Encoding Schemes: DCMIType, DDC, IMT, LCC, LCSH, MESH, NLM, TGN, UDC
Syntax Encoding Schemes: Box, ISO3166, ISO639-2, ISO639-3, Period, Point, RFC1766, RFC3066, RFC4646, RFC5646, URI, W3CDTF
Classes: Agent, AgentClass, BibliographicResource, FileFormat, Frequency, Jurisdiction, LicenseDocument, LinguisticSystem, Location, LocationPeriodOrJurisdiction, MediaType, MediaTypeOrExtent, MethodOfAccrual, MethodOfInstruction, PeriodOfTime, PhysicalMedium, PhysicalResource, Policy, ProvenanceStatement, RightsStatement, SizeOrDuration, Standard
DCMI Type Vocabulary: Collection, Dataset, Event, Image, InteractiveResource, MovingImage, PhysicalObject, Service, Software, Sound, StillImage, Text
Terms for vocabulary description: domainIncludes, memberOf, rangeIncludes, VocabularyEncodingScheme

Section 1: Introduction and Definitions

This document is an up-to-date, authoritative specification of all metadata terms maintained by the Dublin Core™ Metadata Initiative. Included are the fifteen terms of the Dublin Core™ Metadata Element Set (also known as "the Dublin Core") plus several dozen properties, classes, datatypes, and vocabulary encoding schemes. The "Dublin Core" plus these extension vocabularies are collectively referred to as "DCMI metadata terms" ("Dublin Core terms" for short). These terms are intended to be used in combination with metadata terms from other, compatible vocabularies in the context of application profiles.

DCMI metadata terms are expressed in RDF vocabularies for use in Linked Data. Creators of non-RDF metadata can use the terms in contexts such as XML, JSON, UML, or relational databases by disregarding both the global identifier and the formal implications of the RDF-specific aspects of term definitions. Such users can take domain, range, subproperty, and subclass relations as usage suggestions and focus on the natural-language text of definitions, usage notes, and examples.

Each term is identified with a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), a global identifier usable in Linked Data. Term URIs resolve to the (DCMI Metadata Terms) document when selected in a browser or, when referenced programmatically by RDF applications, to one of four RDF schemas. The scope of each RDF schema corresponds to a "DCMI namespace", or set of DCMI metadata terms that are identified using a common base URI, as enumerated in the DCMI Namespace Policy. In Linked Data, the URIs for DCMI namespaces are often declared as prefixes in order to make data, queries, and schemas more concise and readable.

The four DCMI namespaces are:

  • http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/ The /elements/1.1/ namespace was created in 2000 for the RDF representation of the fifteen-element Dublin Core and has been widely used in data for more than twenty years. This namespace corresponds to the original scope of ISO 15836, which was published first in 2003 and last revised in 2017 as ISO 15836-1:2017 [ISO 15836-1:2017.
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/ The /terms/ namespace was originally created in 2001 for identifying new terms coined outside of the original fifteen-element Dublin Core. In 2008, in the context of defining formal semantic constraints for DCMI metadata terms in support of RDF applications, the original fifteen elements themselves were mirrored in the /terms/ namespace. As a result, there exists both a dc:date (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date) with no formal range and a corresponding dcterms:date (http://purl.org/dc/terms/date) with a formal range of "literal". While these distinctions are significant for creators of RDF applications, most users can safely treat the fifteen parallel properties as equivalent. The most useful properties and classes of DCMI Metadata Terms have now been published as ISO 15836-2:2019 [ISO 15836-2:2019]. While the /elements/1.1/ namespace will be supported indefinitely, DCMI gently encourages use of the /terms/ namespace.
  • http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/ The /dcmitype/ namespace was created in 2001 for the DCMI Type Vocabulary, which defines classes for basic types of thing that can be described using DCMI metadata terms.
  • http://purl.org/dc/dcam/ The /dcam/ namespace was created in 2008 for terms used in the description of DCMI metadata terms.

Each term is specified with the following minimal set of attributes:

Name: A token appended to the URI of a DCMI namespace to create the URI of the term.
Label: The human-readable label assigned to the term.
URI: The Uniform Resource Identifier used to uniquely identify a term.
Definition: A statement that represents the concept and essential nature of the term.
Type of Term: The type of term: property, class, datatype, or vocabulary encoding scheme.

Where applicable, the following attributes provide additional information about a term:

Comment: Additional information about the term or its application.
See: Authoritative documentation related to the term.
Subproperty Of: A property of which the described term is a sub-property.
Superclass Of: A class of which the described term is a super-class.
Subclass Of: A class of which the described term is a sub-class.
Domain: A class of which a resource described by the term is an instance.
Domain Includes: A suggested class for subjects of this property.
Range: A class of which a value described by the term is an instance.
Range Includes: A suggested class for values of this property.
Member Of: An enumerated set of resources (Vocabulary Encoding Scheme) of which the term is a member.
Instance Of: A class of which the described term is an instance.
Equivalent
Property:
A property to which the described term is equivalent.

References

[ISO 15836-1:2017] https://www.iso.org/standard/71339.html
[ISO 15836-2:2019] https://www.iso.org/standard/71341.html
[NAMESPACE] http://dublincore.org/specifications/dublin-core/dcmi-namespace/

Section 2: Properties in the /terms/ namespace

Term Name: abstract
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/abstract
Label Abstract
Definition A summary of the resource.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Description (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/description)
  • Description (http://purl.org/dc/terms/description)
Term Name: accessRights
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/accessRights
Label Access Rights
Definition Information about who access the resource or an indication of its security status.
Comment Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/RightsStatement
Subproperty of
  • Rights (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/rights)
  • Rights (http://purl.org/dc/terms/rights)
Term Name: accrualMethod
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/accrualMethod
Label Accrual Method
Definition The method by which items are added to a collection.
Comment Recommended practice is to use a value from the Collection Description Accrual Method Vocabulary [DCMI-ACCRUALMETHOD].
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/MethodOfAccrual
Has Domain http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Collection
Term Name: accrualPeriodicity
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/accrualPeriodicity
Label Accrual Periodicity
Definition The frequency with which items are added to a collection.
Comment Recommended practice is to use a value from the Collection Description Frequency Vocabulary [DCMI-COLLFREQ].
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/Frequency
Has Domain http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Collection
Term Name: accrualPolicy
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/accrualPolicy
Label Accrual Policy
Definition The policy governing the addition of items to a collection.
Comment Recommended practice is to use a value from the Collection Description Accrual Policy Vocabulary [DCMI-ACCRUALPOLICY].
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/Policy
Has Domain http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Collection
Term Name: alternative
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/alternative
Label Alternative Title
Definition An alternative name for the resource.
Comment The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
Type of Term Property
Has Range http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Subproperty of
  • Title (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/title)
  • Title (http://purl.org/dc/terms/title)
Term Name: audience
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/audience
Label Audience
Definition A class of agents for whom the resource is intended or useful.
Comment Recommended practice is to use this property with non-literal values from a vocabulary of audience types.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/AgentClass
Term Name: available
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/available
Label Date Available
Definition Date that the resource became or will become available.
Comment Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
Type of Term Property
Has Range http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Subproperty of
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
Term Name: bibliographicCitation
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/bibliographicCitation
Label Bibliographic Citation
Definition A bibliographic reference for the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible.
Type of Term Property
Has Range http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Subproperty of
  • Identifier (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/identifier)
  • Identifier (http://purl.org/dc/terms/identifier)
Term Name: conformsTo
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/conformsTo
Label Conforms To
Definition An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/Standard
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: contributor
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/contributor
Label Contributor
Definition An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource.
Comment The guidelines for using names of persons or organizations as creators apply to contributors.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/Agent
Subproperty of
  • Contributor (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/contributor)
Term Name: coverage
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/coverage
Label Coverage
Definition The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, spatial applicability of the resource, or jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant.
Comment Spatial topic and spatial applicability may be a named place or a location specified by its geographic coordinates. Temporal topic may be a named period, date, or date range. A jurisdiction may be a named administrative entity or a geographic place to which the resource applies. Recommended practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names [TGN]. Where appropriate, named places or time periods may be used in preference to numeric identifiers such as sets of coordinates or date ranges. Because coverage is so broadly defined, it is preferable to use the more specific subproperties Temporal Coverage and Spatial Coverage.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/Location
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/Period
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/Jurisdiction
Subproperty of
  • Coverage (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/coverage)
Term Name: created
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/created
Label Date Created
Definition Date of creation of the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
Type of Term Property
Has Range http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Subproperty of
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
Term Name: creator
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/creator
Label Creator
Definition An entity responsible for making the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to identify the creator with a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a literal value that identifies the creator may be provided.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/Agent
Equivalent Property
  • http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/maker
Subproperty of
  • Creator (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/creator)
  • Contributor (http://purl.org/dc/terms/contributor)
Term Name: date
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/date
Label Date
Definition A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource.
Comment Date may be used to express temporal information at any level of granularity. Recommended practice is to express the date, date/time, or period of time according to ISO 8601-1 [ISO 8601-1] or a published profile of the ISO standard, such as the W3C Note on Date and Time Formats [W3CDTF] or the Extended Date/Time Format Specification [EDTF]. If the full date is unknown, month and year (YYYY-MM) or just year (YYYY) may be used. Date ranges may be specified using ISO 8601 period of time specification in which start and end dates are separated by a '/' (slash) character. Either the start or end date may be missing.
Type of Term Property
Has Range http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Subproperty of
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
Term Name: dateAccepted
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/dateAccepted
Label Date Accepted
Definition Date of acceptance of the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty. Examples of resources to which a date of acceptance may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
Type of Term Property
Has Range http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Subproperty of
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
Term Name: dateCopyrighted
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/dateCopyrighted
Label Date Copyrighted
Definition Date of copyright of the resource.
Comment Typically a year. Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
Type of Term Property
Has Range http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Subproperty of
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
Term Name: dateSubmitted
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/dateSubmitted
Label Date Submitted
Definition Date of submission of the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty. Examples of resources to which a 'Date Submitted' may be relevant include a thesis (submitted to a university department) or an article (submitted to a journal).
Type of Term Property
Has Range http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Subproperty of
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
Term Name: description
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/description
Label Description
Definition An account of the resource.
Comment Description may include but is not limited to: an abstract, a table of contents, a graphical representation, or a free-text account of the resource.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Description (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/description)
Term Name: educationLevel
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/educationLevel
Label Audience Education Level
Definition A class of agents, defined in terms of progression through an educational or training context, for which the described resource is intended.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/AgentClass
Subproperty of
  • Audience (http://purl.org/dc/terms/audience)
Term Name: extent
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/extent
Label Extent
Definition The size or duration of the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to specify the file size in megabytes and duration in ISO 8601 format.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/SizeOrDuration
Subproperty of
  • Format (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/format)
  • Format (http://purl.org/dc/terms/format)
Term Name: format
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/format
Label Format
Definition The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to use a controlled vocabulary where available. For example, for file formats one could use the list of Internet Media Types [MIME]. Examples of dimensions include size and duration.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/MediaType
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/Extent
Subproperty of
  • Format (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/format)
Term Name: hasFormat
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/hasFormat
Label Has Format
Definition A related resource that is substantially the same as the pre-existing described resource, but in another format.
Comment This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Is Format Of.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: hasPart
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/hasPart
Label Has Part
Definition A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource.
Comment This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Is Part Of.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: hasVersion
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/hasVersion
Label Has Version
Definition A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource.
Comment Changes in version imply substantive changes in content rather than differences in format. This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Is Version Of.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: identifier
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/identifier
Label Identifier
Definition An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context.
Comment Recommended practice is to identify the resource by means of a string conforming to an identification system. Examples include International Standard Book Number (ISBN), Digital Object Identifier (DOI), and Uniform Resource Name (URN). Persistent identifiers should be provided as HTTP URIs.
Type of Term Property
Has Range http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Subproperty of
  • Identifier (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/identifier)
Term Name: instructionalMethod
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/instructionalMethod
Label Instructional Method
Definition A process, used to engender knowledge, attitudes and skills, that the described resource is designed to support.
Comment Instructional Method typically includes ways of presenting instructional materials or conducting instructional activities, patterns of learner-to-learner and learner-to-instructor interactions, and mechanisms by which group and individual levels of learning are measured. Instructional methods include all aspects of the instruction and learning processes from planning and implementation through evaluation and feedback.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/MethodOfInstruction
Term Name: isFormatOf
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/isFormatOf
Label Is Format Of
Definition A pre-existing related resource that is substantially the same as the described resource, but in another format.
Comment This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Has Format.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: isPartOf
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/isPartOf
Label Is Part Of
Definition A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Comment This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Has Part.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: isReferencedBy
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/isReferencedBy
Label Is Referenced By
Definition A related resource that references, cites, or otherwise points to the described resource.
Comment This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of References.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: isReplacedBy
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/isReplacedBy
Label Is Replaced By
Definition A related resource that supplants, displaces, or supersedes the described resource.
Comment This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Replaces.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: isRequiredBy
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/isRequiredBy
Label Is Required By
Definition A related resource that requires the described resource to support its function, delivery, or coherence.
Comment This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Requires.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: issued
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/issued
Label Date Issued
Definition Date of formal issuance of the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
Type of Term Property
Has Range http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Subproperty of
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
Term Name: isVersionOf
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/isVersionOf
Label Is Version Of
Definition A related resource of which the described resource is a version, edition, or adaptation.
Comment Changes in version imply substantive changes in content rather than differences in format. This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Has Version.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: language
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/language
Label Language
Definition A language of the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to use either a non-literal value representing a language from a controlled vocabulary such as ISO 639-2 or ISO 639-3, or a literal value consisting of an IETF Best Current Practice 47 [IETF-BCP47] language tag.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/LinguisticSystem
Subproperty of
  • Language (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/language)
Term Name: license
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/license
Label License
Definition A legal document giving official permission to do something with the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to identify the license document with a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a literal value that identifies the license may be provided.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/LicenseDocument
Subproperty of
  • Rights (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/rights)
  • Rights (http://purl.org/dc/terms/rights)
Term Name: mediator
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/mediator
Label Mediator
Definition An entity that mediates access to the resource.
Comment In an educational context, a mediator might be a parent, teacher, teaching assistant, or care-giver.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/AgentClass
Subproperty of
  • Audience (http://purl.org/dc/terms/audience)
Term Name: medium
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/medium
Label Medium
Definition The material or physical carrier of the resource.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/PhysicalMedium
Domain Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/PhysicalResource
Subproperty of
  • Format (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/format)
  • Format (http://purl.org/dc/terms/format)
Term Name: modified
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/modified
Label Date Modified
Definition Date on which the resource was changed.
Comment Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
Type of Term Property
Has Range http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Subproperty of
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)
Term Name: provenance
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/provenance
Label Provenance
Definition A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation.
Comment The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/ProvenanceStatement
Term Name: publisher
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/publisher
Label Publisher
Definition An entity responsible for making the resource available.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/Agent
Subproperty of
  • Publisher (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/publisher)
Term Name: references
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/references
Label References
Definition A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource.
Comment This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Is Referenced By.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: relation
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation
Label Relation
Definition A related resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to identify the related resource by means of a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a string conforming to a formal identification system may be provided.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
Term Name: replaces
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/replaces
Label Replaces
Definition A related resource that is supplanted, displaced, or superseded by the described resource.
Comment This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Is Replaced By.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: requires
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/requires
Label Requires
Definition A related resource that is required by the described resource to support its function, delivery, or coherence.
Comment This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Is Required By.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: rights
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/rights
Label Rights
Definition Information about rights held in and over the resource.
Comment Typically, rights information includes a statement about various property rights associated with the resource, including intellectual property rights. Recommended practice is to refer to a rights statement with a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a literal value (name, label, or short text) may be provided.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/RightsStatement
Subproperty of
  • Rights (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/rights)
Term Name: rightsHolder
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/rightsHolder
Label Rights Holder
Definition A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to refer to the rights holder with a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a literal value that identifies the rights holder may be provided.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/Agent
Term Name: source
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/source
Label Source
Definition A related resource from which the described resource is derived.
Comment This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. The described resource may be derived from the related resource in whole or in part. Best practice is to identify the related resource by means of a URI or a string conforming to a formal identification system.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Source (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/source)
  • Relation (http://purl.org/dc/terms/relation)
Term Name: spatial
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/spatial
Label Spatial Coverage
Definition Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/Location
Subproperty of
  • Coverage (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/coverage)
  • Coverage (http://purl.org/dc/terms/coverage)
Term Name: subject
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/subject
Label Subject
Definition A topic of the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to refer to the subject with a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a literal value that identifies the subject may be provided. Both should preferably refer to a subject in a controlled vocabulary.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Subject (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/subject)
Term Name: tableOfContents
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/tableOfContents
Label Table Of Contents
Definition A list of subunits of the resource.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Description (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/description)
  • Description (http://purl.org/dc/terms/description)
Term Name: temporal
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/temporal
Label Temporal Coverage
Definition Temporal characteristics of the resource.
Type of Term Property
Range Includes
  • http://purl.org/dc/terms/PeriodOfTime
Subproperty of
  • Coverage (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/coverage)
  • Coverage (http://purl.org/dc/terms/coverage)
Term Name: title
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/title
Label Title
Definition A name given to the resource.
Type of Term Property
Has Range http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Subproperty of
  • Title (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/title)
Term Name: type
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/type
Label Type
Definition The nature or genre of the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the DCMI Type Vocabulary [DCMI-TYPE]. To describe the file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource, use the property Format.
Type of Term Property
Subproperty of
  • Type (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/type)
Term Name: valid
URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/valid
Label Date Valid
Definition Date (often a range) of validity of a resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
Type of Term Property
Has Range http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
Subproperty of
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date)
  • Date (http://purl.org/dc/terms/date)

Section 3: Properties in the /elements/1.1/ namespace

Term Name: contributor
URI http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/contributor
Label Contributor
Definition An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource.
Comment The guidelines for using names of persons or organizations as creators also apply to contributors. Typically, the name of a Contributor should be used to indicate the entity.
Type of Term Property
Note A second property with the same name as this property has been declared in the dcterms: namespace. See the Introduction to the document DCMI Metadata Terms for an explanation.
Term Name: coverage
URI http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/coverage
Label Coverage
Definition The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, spatial applicability of the resource, or jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant.
Comment Spatial topic and spatial applicability may be a named place or a location specified by its geographic coordinates. Temporal topic may be a named period, date, or date range. A jurisdiction may be a named administrative entity or a geographic place to which the resource applies. Recommended practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names [TGN]. Where appropriate, named places or time periods may be used in preference to numeric identifiers such as sets of coordinates or date ranges.
Type of Term Property
Note A second property with the same name as this property has been declared in the dcterms: namespace. See the Introduction to the document DCMI Metadata Terms for an explanation.
Term Name: creator
URI http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/creator
Label Creator
Definition An entity primarily responsible for making the resource.
Comment Examples of a Creator include a person, an organization, or a service. Typically, the name of a Creator should be used to indicate the entity.
Type of Term Property
Note A second property with the same name as this property has been declared in the dcterms: namespace. See the Introduction to the document DCMI Metadata Terms for an explanation.
Term Name: date
URI http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/date
Label Date
Definition A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource.
Comment Date may be used to express temporal information at any level of granularity. Recommended practice is to express the date, date/time, or period of time according to ISO 8601-1 [ISO 8601-1] or a published profile of the ISO standard, such as the W3C Note on Date and Time Formats [W3CDTF] or the Extended Date/Time Format Specification [EDTF]. If the full date is unknown, month and year (YYYY-MM) or just year (YYYY) may be used. Date ranges may be specified using ISO 8601 period of time specification in which start and end dates are separated by a '/' (slash) character. Either the start or end date may be missing.
Type of Term Property
Note A second property with the same name as this property has been declared in the dcterms: namespace. See the Introduction to the document DCMI Metadata Terms for an explanation.
Term Name: description
URI http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/description
Label Description
Definition An account of the resource.
Comment Description may include but is not limited to: an abstract, a table of contents, a graphical representation, or a free-text account of the resource.
Type of Term Property
Note A second property with the same name as this property has been declared in the dcterms: namespace. See the Introduction to the document DCMI Metadata Terms for an explanation.
Term Name: format
URI http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/format
Label Format
Definition The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to use a controlled vocabulary where available. For example, for file formats one could use the list of Internet Media Types [MIME].
Type of Term Property
Note A second property with the same name as this property has been declared in the dcterms: namespace. See the Introduction to the document DCMI Metadata Terms for an explanation.
Term Name: identifier
URI http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/identifier
Label Identifier
Definition An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context.
Comment Recommended practice is to identify the resource by means of a string conforming to an identification system.
Type of Term Property
Note A second property with the same name as this property has been declared in the dcterms: namespace. See the Introduction to the document DCMI Metadata Terms for an explanation.
Term Name: language
URI http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/language
Label Language
Definition A language of the resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to use either a non-literal value representing a language from a controlled vocabulary such as ISO 639-2 or ISO 639-3, or a literal value consisting of an IETF Best Current Practice 47 [IETF-BCP47] language tag.
Type of Term Property
Note A second property with the same name as this property has been declared in the dcterms: namespace. See the Introduction to the document DCMI Metadata Terms for an explanation.
Term Name: publisher
URI http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/publisher
Label Publisher
Definition An entity responsible for making the resource available.
Comment Examples of a Publisher include a person, an organization, or a service. Typically, the name of a Publisher should be used to indicate the entity.
Type of Term Property
Note A second property with the same name as this property has been declared in the dcterms: namespace. See the Introduction to the document DCMI Metadata Terms for an explanation.
Term Name: relation
URI http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/relation
Label Relation
Definition A related resource.
Comment Recommended practice is to identify the related resource by means of a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a string conforming to a formal identification system may be provided.
Type of Term Property
Note A second property with the same name as this property has been declared in the dcterms: namespace. See the Introduction to the document DCMI Metadata Terms for an explanation.
Term Name: rights
URI http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/rights
Label Rights
Definition Information about rights held in and over the resource.
Comment Typically, rights information includes a statement about various property rights associated with the resource, including intellectual property rights.
Type of Term Property
Note A second property with the same name as this property has been declared in the dcterms: namespace. See the Introduction to the document DCMI Metadata Terms for an explanation.
Term Name: source
URI http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/source
Label Source
Definition A related resource from which the described resource is derived.
Comment The described resource may be derived from the related resource in whole or in part. Recommended best practice is to identify the related resource by means of a string conforming to a formal identification system.
Type of Term Property
Note A second property with the same name as this property has been declared in the dcterms: namespace. See the Introduction to the document DCMI Metadata Terms for an explanation.
Term Name: subject
URI http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/subject
Label Subject
Definition The topic of the resource.
Comment Typically, the subject will be represented using keywords, key phrases, or classification codes. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.
Type of Term Property
Note A