DESCRIBED / Knowledge Cleanup / Resource 03

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Minimum metadata card

Choose the few fields that help people find and understand one collection.

By Jonathan Malchow Vega · Free · No signup

Start here

  1. Start with a retrieval question, not a long list of possible fields.
  2. Define a small set and show what good entries look like.
  3. Test three items with another person, then revise.

A useful finish: Each field has a purpose, a definition and an example another person can use.

Use it here or take a copy

Fill in the browser worksheet below, or download the three-page workbook with a quick start, fictional example and two fillable pages.

Use the browser worksheetDownload fillable PDFDownload complete kit (ZIP)

Blank text template · Text example

Print pages 2 and 3 for a blank worksheet. Save and reopen a filled PDF to check your entries. Use the text template for longer notes.

See a completed fictional example

This example is invented to show how the worksheet works. It is not a client case study.

Collection and retrieval question
Fictional policy library: which policy is approved for staff use?
Fields to keep
Title, owner, status, version, approval reference, official location.
Meaning of each field
Owner is the role responsible for content. Status describes approval, not file age.
Values and naming examples
Status: draft, approved, superseded, unknown. Use unknown when evidence is missing.
Who maintains the fields
Policy coordinator updates the record when approval or ownership changes.
Small retrieval test
Three sample policies tested. Added approval reference because status alone could not be checked.

Write your own notes

Your entries stay in this page. Download before closing or refreshing. Nothing you enter is uploaded or stored by this tool.

What does someone need to find or distinguish?

Begin with a short list. Add a field only when it supports a real task.

Define each field in everyday language.

Give examples and say how to mark unknown values.

Name a responsible role and when an update is needed.

Try the fields on three items and record one change.

Read alongside the worksheet

Read the practical guide

Choose another free resource

Version 1.1 · 19 October 2026. Adapt for personal or internal organizational work. Keep the author and source credit on blank copies shared internally. Share this page when recommending the resource.