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The main changes from the earlier list of resource types are:

• addition of collection with definition
• addition of service with definition
• reordering elements into alphabetical order'
• addition of "resource" to "interactive"

Type is used to categorize the nature or genre of the content of the resource. Recommended best practice is to select a value from an enumerated list, and to identify the list being used with the scheme qualification. The content of SCHEME should be a URI of the controlled list. It may be repeated as necessary to include different categories. The following is offered as the Dublin Core default list of resource types.

• collection
• dataset
• event
• image
• interactive resource
• physical object
• service
• software
• sound
• text

These can be defined and used as follows:

collection

a multipart group of items that are assembled by common provenance or administrative convenience. The term collection means that the resource is described as a group; its parts may be separately described and navigated (using the Relation element).

dataset

structured information encoded in lists, tables, databases, etc., which will normally be in a format available for direct machine processing. For example - spreadsheets, databases, GIS data, midi data. Note that unstructured numbers and words will normally be considered to be type text.

event

non-persistent, time-based occurence. Metadata for an event provides descriptive information that is the basis for discovery of the purpose, location, duration, responsible agents, and links to related events and resources. The resource of type event may not be retrievable if the described instantiation has expired or is yet to occur. Examples - exhibition, web-cast, conference, workshop, open-day, performance, battle, trial, wedding, tea-party, conflagration.

image

the content is primarily symbolic visual representation other than text. For example - images and photographs of physical objects, paintings, prints, drawings, other images and graphics, animations and moving pictures, film, diagrams, maps, musical notation. Note that image may include both electronic and physical representations.

interactive resource

resources which require interaction from the user to be understood, executed, or experienced. For example - forms on web pages, applets, multimedia learning objects, chat services, virtual reality.

physical object

objects or substances. For example - a person, a computer, the great pyramid, a sculpture, wheat. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these things should use image, text or one of the other types.

service

a system or institutional activity that supports system-based user interaction. Examples are: online library systems, FTP sites, electronic bulletin boards, network information centers.

software

computer programs in source or compiled form which may be available for installation non-transiently on another machine. For software which exists only to create an interactive environment, use interactive instead.

sound

the content is primarily audio. For example - music, speech, recorded sounds.

text

resources in which the content is primarily words for reading. For example - books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.

Note that comments on the definitions of collection and service are encouraged.

Future Work

Future work on qualified Dublin Core will consider categorizing the different concepts of resource types, such as genre, aggregation level, purpose. This may result in assigned type qualifiers to bring out such aspects, with separate lists of terms for each.