Metadata for traveling statistics-the world of statistics meets the semantic Web

Summary form only given. The paper focuses on the requirements of metadata in a world where the Internet and the Web have become the dominant communication and dissemination medium for statistical information. Four important aspects of metadata (finding, understanding, assessing and sharing) are discussed in the light of this development. Special focus is on the ideas and concepts of the semantic Web-the latest step in the development of the global information system-and how these ideas and concepts are challenging our traditional views on metadata and standards development. Experiences from the parallel development of the NESSTAR system and the DDI (Data Documentation Initiative) are used as illustrations.