Metadata Standards and Workflow Systems

All modern workflow systems include mechanisms for recording inputs, outputs and processes. These descriptions can include details required to reproduce the workflows exactly and, in some cases, can include virtual images of the hardware and operating system. There are several on-going and emerging standards for representing these detailed workflows including the Open Provenance Model (OPM) and the W3C PROV. At the same time, ISO metadata standards include a simple provenance or lineage model that includes many important elements of workflows. The ISO model could play a critical role in sharing and discovering workflow information for collections and perhaps in recording some details in granules. In order for this goal to be reached, connections between the detailed standards and ISO must be understood and conventions for using them must be developed.