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Metadata Matters

In the ever-evolving world of publishing, the importance of good metadata cannot be overstated. Nielsen BookData, a specialist in bibliographic metadata and market trends, plays a pivotal role in this landscape. With a reach that spans 93 countries, Nielsen BookData collects data for English-language books, including audio and ebooks, from over 60,000 publishers and suppliers worldwide. This data is gathered through electronic data feeds and an online title editing service, ensuring comprehensive coverage with the help of a data partner in the US.

However, the journey of metadata begins long before it reaches our systems. We collaborate with trade bodies on both national and international levels, fostering industry-wide cooperation to create standards and best practice guidelines. These efforts are crucial in meeting the modern book supply chain’s needs and encouraging the adoption of these standards.

Our Testing & Integration team works closely with publishers who supply data via the ONIX message for books. This collaboration ensures that the metadata is complete, meets the highest standards, and provides Nielsen BookData with the most comprehensive product records available. Every ONIX feed undergoes a meticulous testing process to maintain these standards.

The publisher portal, Title Editor, is another vital tool in our arsenal. It ensures that publishers entering and uploading their product records meet at least a minimum bibliographic standard. The portal offers an extensive template for uploading complete bibliographic records, making the process seamless and efficient.

Our involvement in the industry extends to various committees and working groups. Our Managing Director, Andre Breedt, is on the International ISBN Agency board and Jon Windus, Product Leadership Director, currently chairs the Book Industry Communication (BIC) committee, with other colleagues representing Nielsen BookData on each of the five BIC leadership committees. Howard Willows, Senior Manager for Data Development, plays an instrumental role in the development of the Thema Classification System. Internationally, we collaborate with publishers in countries like Australia, India, South Africa, and the UAE to improve local supply chain data.

One of Nielsen BookData’s significant contributions is the creation of statistics that support the BIC Metadata Excellence Award Scheme. By publishing monthly reports, we enable publishers to track their compliance with the scheme’s requirements, helping them achieve this important benchmark in data quality.

In addition, our much-quoted research The Importance of Metadata for Discovery and Sales (2020) firmly established the relationship between physical book sales in the UK and the provision of high quality metadata in the supply chain. This report concluded that there was a strong correlation between the completeness of book metadata and book sales, illustrating that rich metadata assists the discoverability of books.

Furthermore, we work with book distributors in the UK, Australia, and other countries to ensure they have the most up-to-date market price and availability information. Daily update feeds from all key UK distributors keep the data current and reliable.

In conclusion, Nielsen BookData’s dedication to maintaining high standards in bibliographic metadata is evident in our extensive collaborations, rigorous testing processes, and continuous efforts to improve data quality. Our work not only supports the publishing industry but also ensures that accurate and comprehensive metadata is available to all stakeholders, ultimately benefiting the entire book supply chain.

For further information contact:

Email: sales.book@nielseniq.com

Tel: +44 (0)1483 712 200

 

 

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