When a topicref is inserted in a map, a topicmeta element is automatically inserted. The topicmeta element is an optional element and should not be automatically inserted by Tridion Docs. The decision to make topicmeta a mandatory element is one that each organization needs to make for itself. If an organization determines that topicmeta is needed in Topicrefs, then DITA constraints can be used to make the topicmeta element required. Please remove the functionality that automatically inserts topicmeta by default. It is time consuming and inefficient to have information architects and authors manually removing the element for each topicref that they create.