One of the best ways to ensure your work is discoverable in open-access repositories—such as Knowledge Commons Works (KCWorks)—is to provide strong, descriptive metadata. Good metadata increases the visibility, accessibility, and long-term usefulness of your work.
What Is Metadata and Why Does It Matter?
Metadata is “data about data.” It includes information such as:
- Author name
- Affiliations
- Subjects
- Keywords
- Dates
- Titles
When someone searches online, this descriptive metadata helps surface relevant content. The more complete and accurate the metadata, the easier it is for others to:
- Find your work
- Cite your work
- Use your work
While librarians and publishers traditionally created metadata, open access platforms allow creators to supply metadata themselves—making it more important than ever to describe your work clearly.
Metadata in KCWorks: Subjects and Keywords
KCWorks uses both controlled vocabularies and user-defined keywords to improve search accuracy and content discovery.
Controlled Vocabularies
These standardized terms ensure that similar materials are grouped together consistently. KCWorks uses:
- FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology)
- Homosaurus, an LGBTQIA+ controlled vocabulary
Homosaurus is included to address gaps in FAST, particularly around LGBTQIA+ topics. We continue to explore additional vocabularies and welcome member suggestions.
How to Choose Subjects
When adding subjects in KCWorks:
- Begin typing in the Subjects field
- The system auto-suggests headings from FAST or Homosaurus
- You can filter by:
- Facet (e.g., topical, geographic, personal)
- Vocabulary (e.g., Homosaurus)
Keywords
If the specific term you need doesn’t appear in either controlled vocabulary, enter it as a keyword.
You may select:
- Up to 10 subjects
- Up to 10 keywords
These help others discover your work through browsing, filtering, and search engines.
More About FAST
FAST is widely used by libraries, museums, and repositories and is adapted from the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). It organizes subject terms into eight facets:
- Chronological
- Corporate names
- Events
- Form/genre
- Geographic names
- Personal names
- Titles
- Topics
FAST often breaks complex concepts into multiple pieces. For example:
- “Medieval Spanish history” →
- Spain (geographic)
- History (topical)
- Middle Ages (topical)
- “18th-century English literature” →
- English Literature (topical)
- Eighteenth Century (topical)
- “Compositional improvisation” →
- Improvisation (Music) (topical)
- Composition (Music) (topical)
- “Shakespeare” →
- Shakespeare, William, 1564–1616 (personal)
Note: When selecting subjects in KCWorks, you will see the facet (e.g., topical, geographic). After deposit, only the subject term is displayed publicly.
Exploring FAST
- You can browse and test subject terms at SearchFAST.
- More information about FAST is available on the OCLC website.
- To narrow your options, try choosing a specific facet (e.g., “topic”).
More About Homosaurus
Homosaurus is an LGBTQIA+ linked data vocabulary used to enrich representation beyond what FAST and LCSH currently provide.
- First developed in 1997
- Continually expanding and updated
- Provides terminology for LGBTQIA+ identities, relationships, communities, histories, and cultural production
You can explore the vocabulary and browse available terms directly on the Homosaurus website.