A data collection system is configured with a management apparatus to define associations between data and metadata, design a method of displaying the data and the metadata related to the data, and generate methods of transmitting, receiving, and relaying the data and the metadata; a generation apparatus that generates the data and the metadata; a display apparatus that displays the data and the metadata; and a relay apparatus that relays the data and the metadata, the management apparatus distributing processing procedures related to the data and the metadata to be displayed on the display apparatus to one of or all of the generation apparatus, the relay apparatus, and the display apparatus, in accordance with a position of the data and an acquisition method contained in association information created using the function to design the associations.