Why Read Metadata
Metadata is like a digital stamp on a file. It can tell us things like:
  • who created a document,
  • when they created the document, and
  • how long they spent editing the document.

Metadata can be removed from a document, but this has to be intentionally done.

We have to remember, metadata doesn’t give us the whole picture about the work done on an assignment, but it can give us useful clues.

Do we need to be careful in the assumptions we draw from metadata?
Yes! Metadata only gives us a piece of the puzzle. It does not give us the whole picture.

  • Example 1:
    Sue has submitted a paper, but the author on the word document says it was created and edited by John. Has Sue not done the work?

    Answer:
    Sue has done the work, but she used her father John’s computer.

  • Example 2:
    Tim submitted an assignment but he only spent 2 minutes editing the assignment on word. Did Tim copy from elsewhere.

    Answer:
    Tim didn’t copy another piece of work. He wrote his assignment on his phone and then copied his own work into a word file before submitting.

  • Example 3:
    Aoife has submitted a word file that has been edited for 5 days. Has she done the work?

    Answer:
    No. Aoife copied and pasted from another document into her own word document. She then left the word file open for five days. During this time, she occasionally clicked into the document and made some minor changes. As a result, her time stamp is misleading.

So how should metadata be used?
It should be used in partnership with other evidence to start a conversation.

We should never jump to a conclusion about what the metadata is telling us.

When asking students about the metadata (or lack thereof) on their files, students should be given a chance to explain what the metadata represents.

On assignments that list authors or editors that are not the student, these names can be run through google to see if they connect to contract writers.

  • Example 1:
    Finn submitted an assignment to Turnitin. The assignment was flagged up in Turnitin as having a high percentage match with AI. When the metadata was looked at, it showed that Finn created the document but that he only spent 1 minute editing the document. The references in the document are made up and much of the content does not reflect the ideas explored during the course of the module. Has Finn used ChatGPT or another generative AI tool?

    Answer:
    It is possible that Finn has used ChatGPT because there are multiple sources of evidence alongside the metadata that suggests that Finn may have submitted work that is not his own.

    When looking at all the data it might be worth speaking to Finn about his work to try to further establish if it is his own. As the vast majority of students who submit work that is not their own do so because of different welfare issues, it would be worth speaking to Finn about how he is and whether he is facing any difficulties personally or in his studies.

If the student converts their word document to a PDF, does the metadata transfer?
No, the metadata on the PDF will only detail who created or edited the PDF. It will not indicate who created or edited the Word file it was converted from.
The PDF will not give you a sense of how long the original word document was edited for.

Finding file Metadata on Microsoft Word - PC/Windows Version
  1. Open the Word file.
  2. Click on the tab File.
  3. In the left-hand navigation panel click on Info.
  4. The metadata will appear on the right-hand side of the window.


Finding file Metadata on Microsoft Word - Mac Version
  1. Open the word file.
  2. Click on File.
  3. From the drop down menu select Properties.
  4. The metadata will appear in a popup window. The main content can be found under the General and Statistics tabs.


Finding file Metadata on a PDF - PC/Windows Version
  1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
  2. Click on the menu toggle (hamburger ) in the top left-hand corner of the document.
  3. From the drop-down menu, select Document Properties.
  4. The metadata will appear in a popup window.


Finding file Metadata on a PDF - Mac Version
  1. Open the PDF file in Preview.
  2. Click on the information icon found in the middle of the menu bar.
  3. The metadata will appear in a popup window.

PowerPoint Presentation on Finding and Reading Metadata
  • Click the image below to download an accessible copy of this PowerPoint file.

Version 2