This page is an informational page about metadata. Current DMP guidelines are not specific about metadata requirements.
A metadata record is a file that captures all details about a data set that another researcher would need to make use of the data set in a separate or related line of inquiry. Metadata captures the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the data you produce. When data curators talk about metadata they are normally referring to a machine-readable description that comes in a standardized format, often defined by an XML schema.