The Metadata Team and institutional research visibility

Authors

Keywords:

research visibility , Wikimedia platforms, scholarly communication

Abstract

In recent years metadata teams in many institutions have evolved to support the creation and management of metadata for institutional research outputs as well as for library collections. As organisational priorities around research visibility, impact and open scholarship grow there are new opportunities for metadata teams to contribute to related strategic goals.

This article explores how the Metadata team at LSE Library has extended its traditional metadata role to support LSE’s Research for the World strategy. It outlines the creation of new metadata sources to strengthen open, structured metadata representing institutional infrastructure, and examines engagement with Wikimedia platforms to improve the discoverability and accessibility of researchers and their outputs in an increasingly complex digital ecosystem. The article also discusses the development of a combined Wikimedian in Residence and Research Visibility Champion role, highlighting the potential for metadata teams to support open science, and research dissemination and impact through collaboration, innovation and the strategic application of metadata expertise.

Author Biography

  • Helen K. R. Williams, London School of Economics and Political Science

    Helen joined LSE Library in 2005, having previously worked at the Institute of Directors and the London Library.  She has been in her current role as Metadata Manager since 2014, and has responsibility for collections and research outputs metadata, with a strategic focus on exploring and developing new ways in which metadata can support research, learning and teaching.

    Helen has been involved in metadata initiatives at a national and international level, including as a committee member of MDG from 2009-2016, as part of the Metadata 2020 collaboration, and as a current member of OCLC’s Metadata Managers Planning Group and the AI-BRIDGES project. She has recently been part of OCLC’s working group exploring AI in metadata workflows and a UKI focus group on Reimagining Descriptive Workflows. She has authored and co-authored a number of metadata articles and conference papers and regularly collaborates with metadata practitioners in the UK and beyond.

References

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Published

2026-09-16

Issue

Vol. 216 (2026)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Helen K. R. Williams

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.