Metadata is data describing other data. System metadata includes creation and modification dates, author, file path, and custodian. Application metadata includes tracked changes, comments, formulas, and hidden content. Email metadata includes routing, recipients, and thread identifiers.
Metadata is generated automatically and is not visible on a printed page, which is why production format determines whether it survives.
Alternative Names:
Data About Data, System Metadata
Why it Matters?
Metadata answers questions the document text cannot: when something was actually written, who changed it, and whether a record was created after the fact. In cases turning on notice or backdating, it is often the entire proof. Producing in a format that strips metadata, or collecting in a way that alters it, forfeits evidence and invites re-production motions.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Why does production format affect metadata?
Can metadata be altered by collection?
