A system for facilitating production of information material comprises a plurality of metadata nodes operable to process metadata describing the content of information material, and a data communications network for providing a facility for communicating the metadata between the metadata nodes. The metadata is represented as metadata strings describing the content or attributes associated with the information material. The metadata string includes a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) providing an address of a storage location of an associated metadata resource. The metadata string is communicable separately from the information material via the network and the associated metadata resource is accessible via the network using the resource identifier. The metadata string can be arranged to provide an indication of parameters describing the information material and identifiers such as UMIDs or the like which facilitate navigation of the information material. The associated metadata resource can be arranged to provide any further metadata having a substantial volume. By describing the associated metadata resource with a URI contained within the metadata string, the metadata resource is accessible from, for example a web browser. Accordingly the metadata resource does not need to be communicated with the metadata string, thereby substantially reducing a bandwidth requirement or data communications traffic required on the data communications network.