What is descriptive metadata?

Descriptive metadata serves the primary function of characterizing and identifying the nature of an information artifact, such as a document, image, or audio file. It provides essential details that facilitate the discovery, understanding, and organization of the resource. This type of metadata usually includes data points such as titles, author names, subjects, keywords, and summaries, which help users locate and retrieve the information they need.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately define descriptive metadata. The second choice pertains to technical or administrative metadata, which focuses on the data storage methods rather than describing the content itself. The third option relates to statistical data, which is more about analyzing and managing records rather than providing descriptive characteristics. The fourth choice involves usage metadata, which tracks how and when users access the information, but does not provide descriptive information about the artifact itself.