Metadata descriptions are typically monolithic data structures and their denormalized, text-based nature yields shortcomings such as inconsistencies and heterogeneities. Moreover, fluidity of research environments, coupled with single-tenancy of metadata descriptions, impedes enforcing authority on the related datasets effectively. We propose a novel paradigm for metadata articulation, delegation, that helps solve the aforementioned issues. After elaborating on the requirements to this practice, we present two worked-out implementation examples in the domain of geospatial metadata and discuss its advantages with respect to key issues in this domain; namely, metadata consistency, interoperability, and mitigating semantic heterogeneity. The technique and the supporting software we present are equally applicable to any XML-based metadata schema and application domain.

元数据描述通常是整体数据结构，它们的非规范化，基于文本的性质会产生诸如不一致和异类之类的缺点。此外，研究环境的流动性加上元数据描述的单租户，阻碍了对相关数据集的有效执行权限。我们为元数据表达，委托提出了一种新颖的范例，有助于解决上述问题。在详细说明了这种做法的要求之后，我们在地理空间元数据领域中展示了两个已解决的实施示例，并讨论了它在该领域中关键问题方面的优势。即元数据一致性，互操作性和减轻语义异质性。我们介绍的技术和支持软件同样适用于任何基于XML的元数据模式和应用程序域。