diff --git a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/sherpa/SHERPADataProviderTest.java b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/sherpa/SHERPADataProviderTest.java
index b19b35895b..f37d9469d1 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/sherpa/SHERPADataProviderTest.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/sherpa/SHERPADataProviderTest.java
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ public class SHERPADataProviderTest extends AbstractDSpaceTest {
     ExternalDataProvider sherpaPublisherProvider;
     ExternalDataProvider sherpaJournalIssnProvider;
 
+    private static final MetadataFieldRef TITLE_FIELD = new MetadataFieldRef("dc", "title", null);
+    private static final MetadataFieldRef ISSN_FIELD = new MetadataFieldRef("creativeworkseries", "issn", null);
+    private static final MetadataFieldRef SHERPA_PUBLISHER_FIELD =
+        new MetadataFieldRef("dc", "identifier", "sherpaPublisher");
+    private static final MetadataFieldRef OTHER_FIELD = new MetadataFieldRef("dc", "identifier", "other");
+
     @BeforeClass
     public static void setUpClass() {
     }
@@ -84,11 +90,9 @@ public class SHERPADataProviderTest extends AbstractDSpaceTest {
         String title = null;
         String identifier = null;
         for (MetadataValueDTO metadataValue : dataObject.getMetadata()) {
-            if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("dc") &&
-            metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("title")) {
+            if (TITLE_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 title = metadataValue.getValue();
-            } else if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("creativeworkseries")
-                && metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("issn")) {
+            } else if (ISSN_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 identifier = metadataValue.getValue();
             }
         }
@@ -132,11 +136,9 @@ public class SHERPADataProviderTest extends AbstractDSpaceTest {
         String title = null;
         String identifier = null;
         for (MetadataValueDTO metadataValue : dataObject.getMetadata()) {
-            if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("dc") &&
-                metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("title")) {
+            if (TITLE_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 title = metadataValue.getValue();
-            } else if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("creativeworkseries")
-                && metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("issn")) {
+            } else if (ISSN_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 identifier = metadataValue.getValue();
             }
         }
@@ -172,12 +174,9 @@ public class SHERPADataProviderTest extends AbstractDSpaceTest {
         String title = null;
         String identifier = null;
         for (MetadataValueDTO metadataValue : dataObject.getMetadata()) {
-            if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("dc") &&
-                metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("title")) {
+            if (TITLE_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 title = metadataValue.getValue();
-            } else if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("dc")
-                && metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("identifier")
-                && metadataValue.getQualifier().equalsIgnoreCase("issn")) {
+            } else if (ISSN_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 identifier = metadataValue.getValue();
             }
         }
@@ -222,12 +221,9 @@ public class SHERPADataProviderTest extends AbstractDSpaceTest {
         String title = null;
         String identifier = null;
         for (MetadataValueDTO metadataValue : dataObject.getMetadata()) {
-            if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("dc") &&
-                metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("title")) {
+            if (TITLE_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 title = metadataValue.getValue();
-            } else if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("dc")
-                && metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("identifier")
-                && metadataValue.getQualifier().equalsIgnoreCase("issn")) {
+            } else if (ISSN_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 identifier = metadataValue.getValue();
             }
         }
@@ -268,16 +264,11 @@ public class SHERPADataProviderTest extends AbstractDSpaceTest {
         String identifier = null;
         String url = null;
         for (MetadataValueDTO metadataValue : dataObject.getMetadata()) {
-            if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("dc") &&
-                metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("title")) {
+            if (TITLE_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 title = metadataValue.getValue();
-            } else if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("dc")
-                && metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("identifier")
-                && metadataValue.getQualifier().equalsIgnoreCase("sherpaPublisher")) {
+            } else if (SHERPA_PUBLISHER_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 identifier = metadataValue.getValue();
-            } else if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("dc")
-                && metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("identifier")
-                && metadataValue.getQualifier().equalsIgnoreCase("other")) {
+            } else if (OTHER_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 url = metadataValue.getValue();
             }
         }
@@ -328,16 +319,11 @@ public class SHERPADataProviderTest extends AbstractDSpaceTest {
         String identifier = null;
         String url = null;
         for (MetadataValueDTO metadataValue : dataObject.getMetadata()) {
-            if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("dc") &&
-                metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("title")) {
+            if (TITLE_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 title = metadataValue.getValue();
-            } else if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("dc")
-                && metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("identifier")
-                && metadataValue.getQualifier().equalsIgnoreCase("sherpaPublisher")) {
+            } else if (SHERPA_PUBLISHER_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 identifier = metadataValue.getValue();
-            } else if (metadataValue.getSchema().equalsIgnoreCase("dc")
-                && metadataValue.getElement().equalsIgnoreCase("identifier")
-                && metadataValue.getQualifier().equalsIgnoreCase("other")) {
+            } else if (OTHER_FIELD.matches(metadataValue)) {
                 url = metadataValue.getValue();
             }
         }
@@ -378,12 +364,9 @@ public class SHERPADataProviderTest extends AbstractDSpaceTest {
         exemplarDataObject.setId(validIdentifier);
         exemplarDataObject.setValue(validName);
         exemplarDataObject.setDisplayValue(validName);
-        exemplarDataObject.addMetadata(new MetadataValueDTO("dc", "title", null, null,
-                validName));
-        exemplarDataObject.addMetadata(new MetadataValueDTO("dc", "identifier", "sherpaPublisher", null,
-                validIdentifier));
-        exemplarDataObject.addMetadata(new MetadataValueDTO("dc", "identifier", "other", null,
-                validUrl));
+        exemplarDataObject.addMetadata(TITLE_FIELD.toMetadata(validName));
+        exemplarDataObject.addMetadata(SHERPA_PUBLISHER_FIELD.toMetadata(validIdentifier));
+        exemplarDataObject.addMetadata(OTHER_FIELD.toMetadata(validUrl));
 
         // Exemplar object 2 has a different order of metadata values
         // (we still expect it to be 'equal' when comparing since there is no concept of place for DTOs)
@@ -392,12 +375,9 @@ public class SHERPADataProviderTest extends AbstractDSpaceTest {
         exemplarDataObject2.setId(validIdentifier);
         exemplarDataObject2.setValue(validName);
         exemplarDataObject2.setDisplayValue(validName);
-        exemplarDataObject2.addMetadata(new MetadataValueDTO("dc", "identifier", "other", null,
-                validUrl));
-        exemplarDataObject2.addMetadata(new MetadataValueDTO("dc", "title", null, null,
-                validName));
-        exemplarDataObject2.addMetadata(new MetadataValueDTO("dc", "identifier", "sherpaPublisher", null,
-                validIdentifier));
+        exemplarDataObject2.addMetadata(OTHER_FIELD.toMetadata(validUrl));
+        exemplarDataObject2.addMetadata(TITLE_FIELD.toMetadata(validName));
+        exemplarDataObject2.addMetadata(SHERPA_PUBLISHER_FIELD.toMetadata(validIdentifier));
 
         // Nonequal object should NOT evaluate as equal to our data
         ExternalDataObject nonEqualObject = new ExternalDataObject();
@@ -405,12 +385,9 @@ public class SHERPADataProviderTest extends AbstractDSpaceTest {
         nonEqualObject.setId(validIdentifier);
         nonEqualObject.setValue(validName);
         nonEqualObject.setDisplayValue(validName);
-        nonEqualObject.addMetadata(new MetadataValueDTO("dc", "title", null, null,
-                "Private Library of Science"));
-        nonEqualObject.addMetadata(new MetadataValueDTO("dc", "identifier", "sherpaPublisher", null,
-                validIdentifier));
-        nonEqualObject.addMetadata(new MetadataValueDTO("dc", "identifier", "other", null,
-                validUrl));
+        nonEqualObject.addMetadata(TITLE_FIELD.toMetadata("Private Library of Science"));
+        nonEqualObject.addMetadata(SHERPA_PUBLISHER_FIELD.toMetadata(validIdentifier));
+        nonEqualObject.addMetadata(OTHER_FIELD.toMetadata(validUrl));
 
 
         // Retrieve the dataobject(s) from the data provider
@@ -435,4 +412,28 @@ public class SHERPADataProviderTest extends AbstractDSpaceTest {
         // Assert NON-equality to the 3rd object
         assertNotEquals(nonEqualObject, dataObject);
     }
+
+    private static class MetadataFieldRef {
+        public final String schema;
+        public final String element;
+        public final String qualifier;
+
+        public MetadataFieldRef(String schema, String element, String qualifier) {
+            this.schema = schema;
+            this.element = element;
+            this.qualifier = qualifier;
+        }
+
+        public boolean matches(MetadataValueDTO value) {
+            return schema.equalsIgnoreCase(value.getSchema()) &&
+                element.equalsIgnoreCase(value.getElement()) &&
+                (qualifier == null ? value.getQualifier() == null
+                    : qualifier.equalsIgnoreCase(value.getQualifier()));
+        }
+
+        public MetadataValueDTO toMetadata(String value) {
+            return new MetadataValueDTO(schema, element, qualifier, null, value);
+        }
+    }
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file