Procedures for Achieving

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Procedures for Achieving Metadata
Registry Content Consistency Data Elements
Larry Fitzwater, U.S. EPA Judith Newton,
NIST Lois Fritts, SAICJanuary 17, 2000
Open Forum onMetadata Registries Santa Fe, NM
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Contents of Working Paper
1. Scope 2. References 3. Definitions 4.
Types of Abstraction 5. Registry Population
Annexes
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Scope
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Data Element Abstraction
Open Forum onMetadata Registries Santa Fe, NM
Judith Newton, NIST
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Types of Abstraction Relevant to Data Elements
1. Specialization/generalizationall items in the
superclass are also in the subclass 2.
Decomposition/aggregationthe part-of
relationship
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Specialization/Generalization
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Decomposition/Aggregation
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Register Metadata for a Data Element
Open Forum onMetadata Registries Santa Fe, NM
Lois Fritts, SAIC
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A Metadata Registry Can Be Overwhelming
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Overview

• General Procedures
• Examples of Registration
• Data Element Groups

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General Procedures

• 1. Understanding the data element
• 2. Content research
• 3. Population of metadata attributes
• 4. Classification
• 5. Quality control

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Population of Metadata Attributes

• Bottom Up Approach

A data element is attributed with known facts
prior to defining the conceptual information
about a data element.

• Top Down Approach

A classified group is added to the registry,
beginning with conceptual domains, value domains,
and working down to the individual data elements.
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Logical Bottom Up Process
Conceptual Domainand Value Meanings
Data Element Concept
Other Data Element Attributes
Data Element Name and Identifiers
Permissible Values
Data Element Definition
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Logical Top Down Process
Conceptual Domain andValue Meanings
Data Element Concept
Data Element Definition
Permissible Values
Data Element Name andIdentifiers
Other Data ElementAttributes
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Other Attributes

• Submitting Organization
• Data Steward
• Comment
• Example
• Origin
• Document
• System
• Standard
• Administrative

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Data Element Examples

• ISO StandardEnumerated
• ISO StandardNon-enumerated
• Application SystemEnumerated

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ISO StandardEnumerated
ISO 3166Country Identifiers
--United States --United States of
America --US --USA --840 --ÉTATS-UNIS --États-Unis
dAmérique
Short English Name Long English Name
2-character abbrev. 3-character abbrev. 3-digit
code Short French Name Long French Name
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Codes for Data Element Registration
Definition (Def) Permissible Value (PV) Value
Domain (VD) Value Domain Origin (VDO) Data
Element Name and Identifiers (DEID) Data Element
Name Context (CNTX) Data Element Concept
(DEC) Conceptual Domain (CD) Classification
(Cl) Layer of Abstraction (LA) Registration
Status (RS)
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ISO 3166Enumerated
Def The short name of a country, represented in
the English language PV Afghanistan,
Albania,Zimbabwe VD Short English-language
country names VDO ISO 3166-11997 DEID 2090331
Short English-language country
name CNTXRegistry DEC Country
identifier CD Countries of the
world Cl Geopolitical entities country
identifiers LA Generalization RS Standard
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ISO StandardNon-enumerated
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ISO 6709Non-enumerated
Def The sexagesimal measure of the angular
distance of a position on the earth on a
meridian north or south of the
equator PV ltAll measures recorded as
DDMMSS.SSgt VD Sexagesimal measures of
latitude VDO Not applicable DEID 3123451
Latitude sexagesimal measure CNTXRegistry DEC L
atitude distance CD Latitude coordinates Cl Geog
raphic point location LA Generalization RS Recor
ded
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Application SystemEnumerated
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Application Data Element
Def The name of a country where the
addressee is located PV
Afghanistan, Albania,Zimbabwe VD Short
English-language country names VDO ISO
3166-11997 DEID 53941 Mailing_Address.Countr
y_Name CNTX Facility data system DEC
Address country identifier CD Countries of
the world Cl Mailing address LA
Specialization RS Recorded
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Register a Classification ofData Elements

• 1. Understanding the classified group
• 2. Specifying the data elements
• 3. Understanding the groups source
• Name
• Definition
• Authority
• Rationale
• Potential usage
• Identifier

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Data Element Classifications

• Document
• Standard
• Composite data element

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Classify by Document
Source Facility Location and Identification
Standard Definition Core set of data
elements that supports location
and identification of
place-based objects Authority Federal Geographic
Data Committee(FGDC) Rationale P
roposed U.S. National Standard Usage Facilitates
data sharing about facilities Identifier 1234
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Data Elements in Document
Facility Name Facility Category Type Facility
Identification Number Latitude Measure Longitude
Measure
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Classify by Standard
Source Standard representation of latitude,
longitude, and altitude for geographic
point locations Definition The horizontal and
vertical coordinates that define a
point on the earth Authority ISO
6709 Rationale International standard Usage
System developers to design a database
entity and transfer data files Identifier 1345
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Data Elements in Standard
Latitude Degrees Measure Longitude Degrees
Measure Altitude Measure Latitude Sexagesimal
Measure Longitude Sexagesimal Measure
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Classify by Composite Data Element
Name Urban-style street address Definition
A set of precise data elements that
can be combined into a street
address Authority U.S. Postal Service,
Publication 28 Postal Address
Standards Rationale U.S. national standard for
creating a mail
piece Usage Parse street address for
validation of
individual segments Identifier 2543
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Data Elements inStreet Address
Building Number Pre-directional Code Street
Name Street Suffix Code Post-directional
Code Secondary Unit Code Suite Number
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Composite Data Element
Example of data values forUrban-Style Street
Address
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Linking Data Elements

• Vertical
• Horizontal
• Used Together

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Vertical Linking
Generalization to Specialization
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Horizontal Linking
Equivalent Layer of Abstraction
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Linking by Use
Example
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milligrams
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This is a practical, logical approach to
registering good data elements.
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Discussion
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