Skip to content

Introduction to Managed Metadata

Metadata is information about information. For example, the title and author of a Template are metadata. Metadata can include various types of information, such as a location, a date, or a catalog item number. When using Looplex’s legal engineering products and solutions, you can centrally manage metadata, perform searches, and generate indexed reports tailored to your organization’s needs. This metadata helps streamline access to the information you need.

This article explains essential terminology for managed metadata and provides a quick overview of how Looplex tools can help manage it.

Terminology

This section defines key terms and concepts that frequently appear in articles about managed metadata.

Taxonomy and Hierarchy

A taxonomy is a formal classification system. It groups words, labels, and terms that describe something, then organizes the groups into a hierarchy.

People create taxonomies for almost any type of information, from biological systems to organizational structures. For instance, biologists group living organisms into four main classifications: animals, plants, fungi, and microbes. Each of these main groups has many subdivisions. Together, the entire system forms a taxonomy.

Organizations create taxonomies and hierarchies in many ways. Examples include account charts for managing accounting systems, organizational charts and job classifications for managing employees, product catalogs, and more. All of these taxonomies are structured information hierarchies—formal classification systems that help manage data.

These taxonomies can be consumed in the Looplex platform through layers of standardization and specialization, such as projections for fully managed taxonomies, extensions of the Legal Common Data Model, or customized layers created specifically for an organization.

Folksonomy

A folksonomy is an informal classification system that evolves gradually as platform users collaborate on texts, labels, and terms. Originating from popular applications such as social networks and Wikipedia, folksonomies adapt based on user interactions.

If you’ve ever seen a “tag cloud” on a website, you’ve encountered a folksonomy.

Looplex uses a folksonomy-based approach to metadata and classification for legal content created on the platform. This approach enables the sharing of knowledge and expertise within an organization. Using a folksonomy, content classification can evolve alongside changing business needs, user interests, and jurisprudence interpretations.

Terms

A term is a specific word or phrase associated with an item in a Looplex Template. Each term has a unique ID and can have multiple text labels (synonyms). For multilingual Templates, a term can also have labels in different languages.

Legal elements in a taxonomy are terms, and these terms can be categorized into concepts, which contain a definition for that element. For Looplex-managed standardized taxonomies, these concepts follow the structure defined in the Looplex Semantic Reference Model.

In standardized taxonomies, terms assist in the conceptual identification of entities in the Common Data Model, such as names and IDs for Legal Data Objects.

There are two types of terms:

  • Managed terms: Predefined terms organized into hierarchical term sets by administrators in the Term Repository.
  • Corporate keywords: User-added words or phrases for tagging items in a Template, which form a collection known as the corporate keyword set. These keywords can later be moved to managed term sets by administrators if needed.

Term Set

A term set is a group of related terms.

  • Local term sets are created within the context of specific Templates and are visible only to users of those Templates. For example, a consumer dispute library might have metadata blocks listing subscription plans or products specific to an organization.
  • Global term sets are available across all Templates linked to a specific Looplex Dataverse application.

You can configure term sets as either closed or open. In a closed term set, users cannot add new terms unless they have appropriate permissions. In an open term set, users can freely add terms.

When a Term Set is structured to have semantic independence from external elements, it can be classified as a Legal Logic Component.

Term Repository Management Tool

The Playbook management tool allows the administration of term libraries and term sets. It displays all global and local term sets available for an organization’s Templates.

Corporate Keywords

The Corporate Keywords column allows users to tag items in Templates with words or phrases. Suggestions may include managed terms or keywords. Users can select an existing value or enter a new one.

Tagging

Tagging refers to applying managed metadata to an item.

Metadata Scenarios: From Taxonomies to Folksonomies

Looplex’s metadata management supports various approaches, from formal taxonomies to user-controlled folksonomies. Organizations can combine managed taxonomies with user-driven tagging for tailored solutions.

The following diagram illustrates different scopes and control levels.

Benefits of Managed Metadata

Consistent Metadata Usage

Managed metadata ensures control over how users add data and content to generated Documents. For example, term sets and managed terms restrict users to specific terms and control who can add new ones. Consistent term usage makes creating robust processes and solutions easier.

Improved Searchability

When consistent metadata is applied across Templates, it enhances the ability to search for legal information and operational data. Search features, like refinement panels, allow filtering results based on metadata.

Metadata Navigation for Cases

Administrators can create Case navigation elements based on metadata terms.

Flexibility

Managed metadata allows administrators to adapt metadata as business needs evolve. Updates to term sets can include synonyms, multilingual labels, or entirely new structures.

Managing Metadata

Effective metadata management requires careful planning. Consider the type of information to be managed in content lists and libraries and how that information will be used across the organization.

For example, you can define metadata to identify key facts about documents, such as:

  • Document purpose (e.g., fee proposal, legal engineering specification).
  • Author and editors.
  • Creation, approval, and modification dates.
  • Responsible department.
  • Target audience.

Planning and Configuring Managed Metadata

Organizations should plan their metadata strategies carefully, considering the formality of their taxonomy and the desired control over metadata. Looplex tools allow for flexible implementation, whether through formal taxonomies or collaborative keyword development.