Metadata, in simplest terms is the data about data. Metadata provides a description of a Web resource by assigning attributes to the object. www.dublincore.org uses the example of how libraries use metadata as part of the catalog: title, author, date of creation or publication, etc.  The site goes on to explain that part of the stressful information overload frequently experienced during a search is undifferentiated digital data. 

A Web resource’s basic information follows the basic idea of the library catalog, expanding it out to encompass more information. The Dublin Core Standards offer a framework for elements using terms that were developed across multiple user communities as a means of simplifying metadata.

Metadata attached to a photograph of a coffeemaker adds information for perspective. By offering information on the physical dimensions, it helps visualized the item outside of the flattened digital format.