The full understanding of the meaning and implications of metadata is new. Two books on the subject, however,
provide a good introduction.
You may order any book from Amazon.com by simply clicking on the title.
Hay, D.
Data Model Patterns: A Metadata Map,
Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2006
This is David Hay's definitive design of a metadata schema, rendered as a platform-independent conceptual entity/relationship model. It is organized in terms of Mr. Hay's version of the Zachman Framework, covering Rows Two, Three, Four, and part of Six.
Marco, D.
Building and Managing the Meta Data Repository,
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000
This is a good description of what meta data are, why they are important, and the
steps to take to implement a meta data repository. It focuses on organizing, staffing, and data quality issues.
Tannenbaum, A
Metadata Solutions: Using Metamodels, Repositories, XML, and Enterprise Portals to Generate Information on Demand,
Addison-Wesley, 2002
This also describes what metadata are, why they are important, and the
steps to take to implement a meta data repository. It focuses on different approaches to metadata architecture.
Poole, J., D. Chang, D. Tolbert, and D. Mellor
Common Warehouse Metamodel: An Introduction to the Standard for Data Warehouse Integration,
John Wiley, 2002
This is the Object Management Group's attempt to define a standard structure for meta data, to be used for tool interchange and meta data repository design. It is extremely difficult to read and understand. The official specification, to be found at http://www.omg.com/cwm/ is more difficult to understand, but is more complete.