Metadata serves several important functions in epidemiology:
Data Quality: Metadata provides insights into the quality of the data, including any limitations or biases that may affect the study's conclusions. Reproducibility: Detailed metadata ensures that other researchers can reproduce the study, which is a cornerstone of scientific research. Data Sharing: Metadata makes it easier to share data with other researchers, facilitating further analysis and collaboration. Data Integration: Metadata enables the integration of data from multiple sources, which is often necessary for large-scale epidemiological studies.
