SDMX Guidelines

SDMX GLossary

Version 2.0

October 2018

Please note that Version 2.0 was replaced by Version 2.1 in December 2020. The SDMX Glossary is also available as a Cross-Domain Concept Scheme from the SDMX Global Registry.

Procedure for making direct links to specific terms in the Glossary (e.g. for citations, ease of navigation)

Let us assume that you want your users to be directly referred to the concept "Content-oriented guidelines (COG)" without them having to search the whole Glossary. To do this, go through the table of contents until you spot the entry "Content-oriented guidelines (COG)". You then have two options: a) if you do not want to check the content of the entry (because you know that it is the concept you are interested in), just do a right-click and select "Copy link address" in Chrome browser, "Copy Link Location" in Netscape, Opera and Firefox browsers, "Copy shortcut" in Internet Explorer, or similar functionality in other browsers; b) if you want to check the content of the entry before taking any action (e.g. because you are not sure that the definition suits your needs), click on the link; you will then be redirected to the place in the document where the entry "Content-oriented guidelines (COG)" is defined; if the entry meets your needs, simply copy the URL displayed in the address bar of your browser and paste it in your document. In the case of the "Content-oriented guidelines (COG)", the link will be the following: https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_2_0_October_2018.htm#_Toc441822032 (the segment " #_Toc529282104" is the part of the address that makes the concept directly referencable).

Document history

Version 1.0

Finalised in February 2016

Version 2.0

Finalised in October 2018

Introduction

The SDMX Glossary is an SDMX guideline containing concepts and related definitions that are useful for building and understanding data and metadata exchange arrangements based on SDMX. The Glossary provides definition of terms found in the SDMX Information Model, Data Structure Definitions[1] (DSDs), and Metadata Structure Definitions (MSDs) at the time of the present release. It is recommended as a single entry point to a common SDMX terminology to be used in order to facilitate communication and understanding of the standard.

In short, the overall message of the glossary is the following: if a term is used, then its precise meaning should correspond to the SDMX Glossary definition, and any reference to a particular phenomenon described in the SDMX Glossary should use the appropriate term.

The glossary is not intended to cover the whole range of statistical terminology, as this area is already covered by other general or domain-specific glossaries. The focus of the glossary is largely those terms that are normally used for building and understanding metadata systems and SDMX data exchange arrangements.

Business Case for the adoption of Cross-Domain Concepts (CDCs)

In the SDMX framework, "Cross-domain concepts" are Concepts relevant to several, if not all, statistical domains. SDMX recommends the use of these concepts, whenever feasible, in SDMX data and metadata structures and messages in order to promote re-usability and exchange of statistical information and their related metadata between organisations. Whenever used, these Concepts should conform to the specified names, ID, Representations and Codelists defined in the SDMX Content-Oriented Guidelines.

Cross-Domain Concepts (CDCs) are useful for exchanging data and metadata between multiple agencies and statistical subject-matter domains.

The CDCs, if adhered to by international organisations and national institutions, promote the:

·         efficient exchange of data and related structural and reference metadata by interlinking statistical information systems of organisations, in spite of technological or linguistic differences that might exist between them from their internal perspectives;

·         exchange of consistent metadata that can be used by different international organisations and national and regional data-producing agencies to compare concepts and practices;

·         re-usability of exchange messages from an institution to other institutions, thereby reducing the overall data and metadata reporting burden.

Contact Address

For any question, comment or correction, feel free to contact the SDMX Statistical Working Group (SWG) at the following address: swg@sdmx.org.


Attributes used for describing concepts listed in the glossary

* Denotes mandatory fields

Term*                 Name of the concept. The term should preferably be entered in the singular form and upper cases should be avoided to the largest extent possible.

Definition*         Short statement explaining the meaning of the concept. This textual description of the concept should answer the question "What is it?" rather than "How is it done?" or "Why do we have it?, etc. It is recommended to keep definitions short and add any explanatory text under field "Context".

Context               Complementary information on the background, history, use, status, etc. of the concept. This field is used to add information on how and where the term may be used. It describes SDMX use cases for the term and may contain examples of its use. This field is optional, though strongly recommended.

Type                    Used to explicitly denote concepts which are cross-domain.

Concept ID*       Unique identifier for the concept that allows it to be unambiguously used for machine-to-machine exchange.

Recommended representation   Recommended type of value for the concept term. Examples are "primitive" types such as string (i.e. free text), or complex types such as Codelist, that is used for those terms that have an associated Codelist in Codelist ID. There may be more than one recommended type; in this case, the first type is recommended over the others. For time types, it could be possible to use a more precise representation of time than the recommended type (e.g. Reporting Time Period instead of Observational Time Period).

Codelist ID         Unique identifier for the Codelist associated with the Concept. Most often it is the term's Concept ID prefixed by "CL_". For example, the "Observation Status" term has the Concept ID of OBS_STATUS, and the Codelist ID of CL_OBS_STATUS. This attribute is used only if the concept's "Recommended representation" includes "Codelist".

Related terms     Entries in the SDMX Glossary that are closely associated with the concept term. It is possible here to create relationships between concepts, e.g. between "Reference metadata" and "Structural metadata". No hierarchy is created between the concepts linked, i.e. if a link is established between "Reference metadata" and "Metadata", a similar link will be established between "Metadata" and "Reference metadata".

Source                 Source information from which the definition was extracted. The reference must be as complete as possible. When available, the source is followed by a hyperlink, i.e. a link to the source material for the term.

Other link(s)       Link(s) to material that is related, closely or loosely, to, but not directly associated with the concept source of the term, e.g. link to a general methodological document.


 

Table of Contents

Accounting conventions. 17

Accuracy. 17

Accuracy - overall 18

Action type. 18

Adjustment 18

Age. 19

Agency Scheme. 19

Aggregation operation. 20

Annotable Artefact 20

Annotation. 20

Artefact 21

Attachment level 21

Attribute. 21

Attribute Relationship. 22

Base period. 22

Base weight 23

Bilateral exchange. 23

Break reason. 23

Category. 24

Category Scheme. 24

Civil status. 24

Classification: See "Statistical classification". 25

Classification system.. 25

Code. 25

Codelist 25

Coding Format 26

Coherence. 26

Coherence - cross domain. 27

Coherence - internal 27

Comment 28

Comparability. 28

Comparability - geographical 29

Comparability - over time. 29

Compiling agency. 29

Component 30

Concept 30

Concept Scheme. 31

Confidentiality. 32

Confidentiality - data treatment 32

Confidentiality - policy. 33

Confidentiality - redistribution authorisation policy. 33

Confidentiality - status. 33

Constraint 34

Contact 34

Contact email address. 35

Contact fax number. 35

Contact mail address. 35

Contact name. 36

Contact organisation. 36

Contact organisation unit 37

Contact person function. 37

Contact phone number. 37

Content-Oriented Guidelines, COG.. 38

Cost and burden. 38

Cost and burden - efficiency management 39

Cost and burden - resources. 39

Counterpart reference area. 39

Coverage. 40

Coverage error. 40

Cross-domain Codelist, CDCL.. 41

Cross-domain Concept, CDC.. 42

Currency. 42

Data collection method. 42

Data compilation. 43

Data Consumer. 43

Data Consumer Scheme. 43

Data exchange. 44

Data extraction date. 44

Data description. 44

Dataflow.. 45

Data Provider. 45

Data Provider Scheme. 46

Data reference period: See "Time period - collection". 46

Data revision. 47

Data revision - policy. 47

Data revision - practice. 47

Data revision - studies. 48

Data Set 48

Data sharing. 49

Data Source. 49

Data Structure Definition, DSD.. 49

Data update - last update. 50

Data validation. 51

Decimals. 51

Dimension. 51

Dissemination agency. 52

Dissemination format 52

Dissemination format - microdata access. 52

Dissemination format - news release. 53

Dissemination format - online database. 53

Dissemination format - publications. 54

Dissemination format - other formats. 54

Documentation on methodology. 55

Documentation on methodology - advance notice. 55

DSD for global use. 55

Economic activity. 56

Economic sector. 56

Education level 57

Embargo time. 57

Expenditure according to purpose. 57

Facet 58

Fast-track change. 58

Frequency of data collection. 59

Frequency of dissemination. 59

Frequency of observation. 59

Geographical coverage. 60

Global registry. 60

Group Key. 61

Group key structure. 61

Hierarchical Code. 61

Hierarchical Codelist (HCL) 61

Hierarchy. 62

Hub (dissemination architecture) 62

Identifiable Artefact 63

Imputation. 63

Imputation rate. 63

Incremental update. 64

Indicator: See "Statistical indicator". 64

Indicator reference periodicity. 64

Institutional mandate. 64

Institutional mandate - data sharing. 65

Institutional mandate - legal acts and other agreements. 65

Institutional sector. 66

International String. 66

isExternalReference. 66

isIncluded. 67

Item Scheme. 67

Job. 67

Labour force status. 67

Language. 68

Level 68

Local DSD.. 69

Maintainable Artefact 69

Maintenance agency. 70

Map. 70

Measure. 71

Measurement error. 71

Member Selection. 72

Member Value. 72

Metadataflow.. 72

Metadata Key. 73

Metadata Key Set 73

Metadata key value. 73

Metadata repository. 73

Metadata Set 74

Metadata Structure Definition, MSD.. 74

Metadata update. 74

Metadata update - last certified. 75

Metadata update - last posted. 75

Metadata update - last update. 76

Model assumption error. 76

Multilateral exchange. 76

Nameable Artefact 77

Non-response error. 77

Non-sampling error. 78

Notification. 79

Observation pre-break value. 79

Observation status. 79

Observation Value. 80

Occupation. 80

Organisation Unit Scheme. 80

Ownership group. 81

Ownership sector. 81

Periodicity: See "Frequency of observation". 81

Population coverage. 82

Preferred scale. 82

Price adjustment 82

Processing error. 83

Professionalism.. 83

Professionalism - code of conduct 84

Professionalism - impartiality. 84

Professionalism - methodology. 85

Professionalism - statistical commentary. 85

Provision Agreement 85

Pull (reporting method) 85

Punctuality. 86

Push (reporting method) 86

Quality management 86

Quality management - quality assessment 87

Quality management - quality assurance. 87

Quality management - quality documentation. 87

Reference area. 88

Reference metadata. 88

Reference period. 89

Release policy. 89

Release policy - release calendar. 90

Release policy - release calendar access. 90

Release policy - transparency. 90

Release policy - user access. 91

Relevance. 91

Relevance - completeness. 92

Relevance - user needs. 92

Relevance - user satisfaction. 92

Reporting agency. 93

Reporting Category. 93

Reporting Taxonomy. 93

Representation. 93

Sampling error. 94

SDMX-CSV.. 94

SDMX-EDI. 95

SDMX Information Model, SDMX-IM... 95

SDMX-JSON.. 96

SDMX-ML.. 96

SDMX Registry. 97

SDMX Registry Interface (in the context of registry) 97

SDMX Technical Specification. 98

Seasonal adjustment 98

Sector. 98

Sector coverage. 99

Series. 99

Series Key. 100

Sex. 100

Sibling group. 100

Source data type. 101

Statistical Classification. 101

Statistical concepts and definitions. 101

Statistical Data and Metadata eXchange, SDMX.. 102

Statistical domain: See "Statistical subject-matter domain". 102

Statistical indicator. 102

Statistical population. 103

Statistical subject-matter domain. 104

Statistical unit 104

Statistical variable. 104

Status in employment 105

Status of worker. 105

Structural metadata. 106

Structural validation. 106

Structure Set 107

Subscription. 107

Time coverage. 107

Time format 108

Timeliness. 108

Timeliness - source data. 109

Time period. 109

Time period - collection. 109

Time series: See "Series". 110

Time transformation. 110

Title. 110

Title complement 111

Unit: See "Statistical unit". 111

Unit multiplier. 111

Unit of measure. 111

Usage status. 112

Validation and Transformation Language, VTL.. 112

Valuation. 112

Variable: See "Statistical variable". 113

Version. 113

Versionable Artefact 113

Vis-a-vis area: See "Counterpart reference area". 113

 


Accounting conventions

Definition           Practical procedures, standards and other aspects used when compiling data from diverse sources under a common methodological framework.

Context               This metadata element refers to descriptions of the types of prices used to value flows and stocks, or other units of measurements used for recording the phenomena being observed; the time of recording of the flows and stocks or the time of recording of other phenomena that are measured, including the reference period employed; and the grossing/netting procedures that are used.

                            Accounting conventions may refer to whether the data are recorded on a cash/accrual or mixed accounting basis, the time of their recording and the reference period (fiscal or calendar year) employed. The description could also include how consistent the practices used are with internationally accepted standards - such as the Balance of Payments Manual or SNA (System of National Accounts) - or good practices.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         ACC_CONV

Recommended representation   String

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Accuracy

Definition           Closeness of computations or estimates to the unknown exact or true values that the statistics were intended to measure.

Context               The accuracy of statistical information is the degree to which the information correctly describes the phenomena it was designed to measure. It is usually characterised in terms of error in statistical estimates and is often decomposed into bias (systematic error) and variance (random error) components. Accuracy can be expressed as either measures of accuracy (numerical results of the methods for assessing the accuracy of data) or qualitative assessment indicators. It may also be described in terms of the major sources of error that potentially cause inaccuracy (e.g., coverage, sampling, non-response, response error). Accuracy is associated with the "reliability" of the data, which is defined as the closeness of the initial estimated value to the subsequent estimated value.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         ACCURACY

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Accuracy - overall

                            Non-sampling error

                            Sampling error

Source                 The Oxford Dictionary of Statistical Terms, Yadolah Dodge (ed.), Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2003

Other link(s)       Statistics Canada Quality Guidelines, "Defining Quality" (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/12-539-x/4147797-eng.htm)

Accuracy - overall

Definition           Assessment of accuracy, linked to a certain Data Set or domain, which is summarising the various components into one single measure.

Context               This metadata element is used to describe the main sources of random and systematic error in the statistical outputs and provide a summary assessment of all errors with special focus on the impact on key estimates. The bias assessment can be in quantitative or qualitative terms, or both. It should reflect the producer's best current understanding (sign and order of magnitude) including actions taken to reduce bias. Revision aspects should also be included here if considered relevant.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         ACCURACY_OVERALL

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Accuracy

                            Non-sampling error

                            Sampling error

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Action type

Definition           Behaviour to be undertaken by a system processing the information contained in a SDMX message.

Context               The "Action type" specifies, for a data or a structure message, the action to be performed, e.g. append new data, replace or delete the data, as specified in the technical specifications.

Concept ID         ACTION_TYPE

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Adjustment

Definition           Set of procedures employed to modify statistical data to enable it to conform to national or international standards or to address data quality differences when compiling specific Data Sets.

Context               Adjustments may be associated with changes in definitions, exchange rates, prices, seasons and other factors. Adjustments are in particular applied to compile consistent time series, but the concept is also used for describing adjustments related to other types of data.

                            Adjustment can be distinguished from editing and imputation, in that before adjustment, the data are already of sufficient quality to be considered usable.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         ADJUSTMENT

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Price adjustment

                            Seasonal adjustment

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Other link(s)       European Union, Commission Recommandation of 23 June 2009 on reference metadata for the European Statistical System (2009/498/EC), Official Journal of the European Union No L 168, 30.6.2009, p. 50 - 55 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:168:0050:0055:EN:PDF)

Age

Definition           Length of time that an entity has lived or existed.

Context               Age can be expressed as a number, e.g. 25 years old, or as a range, e.g. "between 25 and 29 years" or "6 to 11 months".

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         AGE

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_AGE

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Other link(s)       Codelist CL_AGE (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

Agency Scheme

Definition           Maintained collection of maintenance agencies.

Context               In SDMX the Agency Scheme contains a non-hierarchic list of maintenance agencies. Each maintenance agency can have a single Agency Scheme, and may have none. The agencies in the Agency Scheme are deemed to be sub agencies of the maintenance agency of the scheme in which they reside. The top-level Agency Scheme is the scheme for which SDMX is the maintenance agency (SDMX Agency Scheme), and every Agency in every Agency Scheme must be related directly or indirectly via intervening Agency Schemes, to an Agency registered in the SDMX Agency Scheme. In this way each Agency can be identified uniquely by the combination of Agencies in the path from the SDMX Agency Scheme to the Agency Scheme in which it resides, plus its own identity in that scheme.

Concept ID         AGENCY_SCH

Related terms     Data Consumer Scheme

                            Data Provider Scheme

                            Item Scheme

                            Maintenance agency

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Aggregation operation

Definition           Representation of the calculation type when a single value is calculated from a collection of values.

Context               This element is part of the unit definition of a variable. An example use is when calculating the average daily temperature from all daily temperatures for one month, the aggregation operation is "Mean". Other typical values are "Median", "Count", "Weight", "Quintile n".

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         AGGREGATION_OPERATION

Recommended representation   Codelist

Related terms     Indicator reference periodicity

                            Measure

                            Unit multiplier

                            Unit of measure

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018

Annotable Artefact

Definition           Construct capable of defining Annotations.

Context               The Annotation in SDMX is way of extending the functionality of SDMX structural metadata.

Concept ID         ANNOTABLE_ART

Related terms     Annotation

                            Artefact

                            Identifiable Artefact

                            Maintainable Artefact

                            Nameable Artefact

                            Versionable Artefact

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Annotation

Definition           Construct that contains user or organisation-specific metadata.

Context               The Annotation construct in SDMX is available to most of the SDMX structural metadata artefacts. This facility is essentially a flexible extension mechanism allowing metadata to be added to SDMX structural metadata or to a Data Set. Note that whilst the SDMX Annotation has a specific structure (Title, Type, URL, Text) individual organisations are free to use these in any way and any combination they wish. An Annotation can only be processed in a meaningful way (i.e. other than viewing it) by systems that understand the semantic of the Annotation.

Concept ID         ANNOTATION

Related terms     Annotable Artefact

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Artefact

Definition           Abstract concept denoting an element in the SDMX model having specific characteristics which are inherited by other elements.

Context               Artefacts provide features which are reusable by derived elements to support general functionality such as identity, versioning etc.

                            Examples of SDMX artefacts are "Identifiable Artefacts" and "Maintainable Artefacts".

Concept ID         ARTEFACT

Related terms     Annotable Artefact

                            Identifiable Artefact

                            Maintainable Artefact

                            Nameable Artefact

                            Versionable Artefact

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Attachment level

Definition           Property of an attribute defining the object to which data or metadata are linked.

Context               For each attribute specified in a data structure, there is a definition of whether this attribute takes:

                            - a value for each observation in the Data Set

                            - a value for each time series in the Data Set

                            - a value for each group in the Data Set

                            - a single value for the entire Data Set.

                            Some metadata concepts (e.g. frequency) may not be meaningful at the observation level, but only when applied to a higher level (e.g. to a time series of observations). Time, on the other hand, is meaningful at observation level, because every observation is associated with a specific point or period in time. Data Structure Definitions and Metadata Structure Definitions provide information about the level at which a particular concept descriptor is relevant: at observation level, time series level, group level, dataset level or even Agency level. This is known as the "attachment level" of the concept.

                            This is a version 2.0 construct. In version 2.1 this is known as the "Attribute Relationship".

Concept ID         ATTACHMENT_LEV

Related terms     Attribute

                            Attribute Relationship

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Attribute

Definition           Statistical concept providing qualitative information about a specific statistical object.

Context               The specific statistical object in a Data Set can be a Data Set, Observation, Series Key or partial key, and in a Metadata Set can be any object in the SDMX Information Model. Concepts such as units, magnitude, currency of denomination, titles (these are all commonly specified as attributes in a data structure) and methodological comments, quality statements (commonly specified as attributes in a metadata structure) can be used as attributes in the context of an agreed data exchange.

                            The Attribute Value is the reported value in a Data Set or a Metadata Set such as a specific currency or a specific dissemination policy applicable to the object to which the Attribute Value is attached.

Concept ID         ATTRIBUTE

Related terms     Attachment level

                            Constraint

                            Dataflow

                            Data Structure Definition, DSD

                            Metadata Structure Definition, MSD

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Attribute Relationship

Definition           Specification of the type of artefact to which a data attribute can be attached in a Data Set.

Context               A part of the specification of Attribute in a Data Structure Definition denotes to which part of the data the Attribute can relate in a Data Set. This can be the entire Data Set, specific grouping of the Dimensions, or an Observation.

                            This is a version 2.1 construct. In version 2.0 this was known as the "attachment level".

Concept ID         ATTRIBUTE_REL

Related terms     Attachment level

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Base period

Definition           Period of time used as the base of an index number, or to which a constant series refers.

Context               The base period refers to the period when the published index is 100, or to which weights or base data refer to. It can be one single year (e.g. 1995=100) but it may be as short as one day or as long as a specified number of years. "Base period" may include an indication of the value of the series in the base period (usually 1 or 100).

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         BASE_PER

Recommended representation   Observational Time Period; Codelist; String

Codelist ID         CL_BASE_PER

Related terms     Base weight

                            Reference period

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Base weight

Definition           Weights of a weighting system for an index number computed according to the information relating to the base period instead, for example, of the current period.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         BASE_WEIGHT

Recommended representation   Codelist; Decimal; String

Codelist ID         CL_BASE_WEIGHT

Related terms     Base period

Source                 The Oxford Dictionary of Statistical Terms, Yadolah Dodge (ed.), Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2003

Bilateral exchange

Definition           Exchange of data and/or metadata between a sending organisation and a receiving organisation where all aspects of the exchange process are agreed between counterparties, including the mechanism for exchange of data and metadata, the formats, the frequency or schedule, and the mode used for communications regarding the exchange.

Context               Apart from bilateral exchange, the SDMX initiative identifies two other basic forms of exchange of statistics and metadata between organisations, i.e. multilateral exchange and data-sharing.

Concept ID         BILAT_EXCHGE

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Data exchange

                            Data sharing

                            Multilateral exchange

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Break reason

Definition           Attribute that describes the reason for a break in a time series.

Context               Time series breaks can be explained by changes to classifications, methodology, survey scope, data sources, etc.

Concept ID         BREAK_REASON

Recommended representation   Codelist; String

Related terms     Series

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Category

Definition           Structural metadata concept that classifies structural metadata objects.

Context               The Category can link to any identifiable object and can help discovery of structural metadata. In a data dissemination or data collection system the Category will probably link to a Dataflow or Metadataflow to support data or metadata discovery or data or metadata collection management.

                            The Category can link to multiple identifiable objects and any identifiable object can link to multiple categories, possibly in different Category Schemes.

                            The link between a single category and a single identifiable object is contained in a Categorisation.

Concept ID         CATEGORY

Related terms     Category Scheme

                            Dataflow

                            Metadataflow

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Category Scheme

Definition           Descriptive information for a subdivision of categories into groups based on characteristics, which the objects have in common.

Context               The Category Scheme comprises a hierarchy of categories which may include any type of useful classification for the organisation of data and metadata.

Concept ID         CATEGORY_SCH

Related terms     Category

                            Item Scheme

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Civil status

Definition           Legal, conjugal status of each individual in relation to the marriage laws or customs of the country.

Context               The civil status is often referred to as marital status and represented through codes of the respective Codelist.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CIVIL_STATUS

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_CIVIL_STATUS

Source                 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE), Eurostat, "Recommendations for the 2000 censuses of population and housing in the ECE region", New York and Geneva, 1998 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/2000_censuses_ECE_region_EN.pdf)

Other link(s)       Codelist CIVIL_STATUS (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

Classification: See "Statistical classification"

 

Classification system

Definition           Metadata element used to a) list the classification(s) being used for a given Data Set or set of Data Sets, and b) describe how these conform to internationally agreed standards, guidelines, or good practices.

Context               When relevant, deviations from statistical standards, guidelines, or good practices, should be documented.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CLASS_SYSTEM

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Statistical classification

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Code

Definition           Language-independent set of letters, numbers or symbols that represent a concept whose meaning is described in a natural language.

Context               The Code in SDMX contains the Id (the code), and a name and description either or both of which can be multi-lingual.

Concept ID         CODE

Related terms     Coding Format

                            Constraint

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Codelist

Definition           Predefined set of terms from which some statistical coded concepts take their values.

Context               The SDMX technical standards are sufficiently generic to allow institutions to adopt and implement any specific representation. However, the use of common Codelists will facilitate users to work even more efficiently as it eases the maintenance of, and reduces the need for, mapping systems and interfaces delivering data and metadata to users. Therefore, a choice over Codelists has a great impact on the efficiency of data sharing.

                            From version 2.1 of the standard it is possible to exchange and disseminate a partial Codelist which is extracted from the full Codelist and which supports the dimension values valid for a particular Data Structure Definition (DSD). The content of the partial Codelist is specified on a Constraint and can be specified for any object to which a Constraint may be attached. This makes it possible to use common (and often quite large) Codelists in multiple DSDs and then to limit their content for use in a specific DSD.   

Concept ID         CODELIST

Related terms     Coding Format

                            Constraint

                            Item Scheme

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Other link(s)       SDMX, "Guidelines for the Creation and Management of SDMX Codelists" (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=4345)

                            List of available SDMX cross-domain codelists (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

Coding Format

Definition           Specification of the Representation for the Codes in a Codelist.

Context               The specification of the format information for the Codes, such as whether the Codes are alphabetic, numeric or alphanumeric, and the code length.

Concept ID         CODING_FORMAT

Related terms     Code

                            Codelist

                            Level

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Coherence

Definition           Adequacy of statistics to be reliably combined in different ways and for various uses.

Context               When originating from different sources, and in particular from statistical surveys using different methodology, statistics are often not completely identical, but show differences in results due to different collection methodology concepts, classifications and methodological standards. There are several areas where the assessment of coherence is regularly conducted: between provisional and final statistics, between annual and short-term statistics, between statistics from the same socio-economic domain, and between survey statistics and national accounts.

                            The concept of coherence is closely related to the concept of comparability between statistical domains. Both coherence and comparability refer to a Data Set with respect to another. The difference between the two is that comparability refers to comparisons between statistics based on usually unrelated statistical populations and coherence refers to comparisons between statistics for the same or largely similar populations.

                            In the Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF) of the International Monetary Fund, the term "consistency" is used for indicating "logical and numerical coherence". In that framework, "internal consistency" and "intersectoral and cross-domain consistency" can be mapped to "internal coherence" and "cross-domain coherence" respectively.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COHERENCE

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Coherence - cross-domain

                            Coherence - internal

                            Coherence - National Accounts

                            Coherence - sub-annual and annual statistics

                            Comparability

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Coherence - cross domain

Definition           Extent to which statistics are reconcilable with those obtained through other Data Sources or statistical domains.

Context               This metadata element is used to describe the differences in the statistical results calculated on the basis of different statistical domains, or surveys based on different methodologies (e.g. between annual and short-term statistics or between social statistics and national accounts).

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COHER_X_DOM

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Coherence

                            Coherence - internal

                            Coherence - National Accounts

                            Coherence - sub-annual and annual statistics

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Coherence - internal

Definition           Extent to which statistics are consistent within a given Data Set.

Context               This metadata element is used to describe the differences in the statistical results calculated for the same statistical domain, based on stable or changing methodology (e.g. between provisional and final statistics or between different reference years showing break in series). Frequently, a group of statistics of a different type (in monetary value, in volume or constant price, price indicators, etc.) measure the same phenomenon using different methodologies. For instance, statistics on employment, depending on whether they result from employers' declarations or household surveys do not lead exactly to the same results. However, there are often differences in the concepts used (de-jure or de-facto population, for instance), in the registration date, in the cif/fob registration for external trade, etc. It is very important to check that these representations do not diverge too much in order to anticipate users' questions and for preparing corrective actions.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COHER_INTERNAL

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Coherence

                            Coherence - cross-domain

                            Coherence - National Accounts

                            Coherence - sub-annual and annual statistics

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Comment

Definition           Descriptive text which can be attached to data or metadata.

Context               In data messages, a comment may be defined as an Attribute and can contain a descriptive text which can be attached to any construct specified in the Attribute Relationship.

                            In Metadata Sets a comment can be attached to any object in the SDMX Information Model that can be identified (known as an "Identifiable Artefact" in the model). For example Agency, Provision Agreement, Dataflow, Code, Concept.

                            In both of these types of messages the relevant Concept (e.g. COMMENT) must be declared in the structure definition (Data Structure Definition or Metadata Structure Definition) together with the object to which it is allowed to be attached in the Data Set or Metadata Set. Note that in a data structure (version 2.1 onwards) it is possible to define the "Attribute Relationship" of any Concept used as an Attribute to more than one of Data Set, group, series, observation. This is not possible using version 2.0. In version 2.0 it is necessary to declare multiple Concepts (e.g. COMMENT_TS, COMMENT_OBS) to achieve this.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COMMENT

Recommended representation   String

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Comparability

Definition           Extent to which differences between statistics can be attributed to differences between the true values of the statistical characteristics.

Context               Comparability aims at measuring the impact of differences in applied statistical concepts and definitions on the comparison of statistics between geographical areas, non-geographical dimensions, or over time. Comparability of statistics, i.e. their usefulness in drawing comparisons and contrast among different populations, is a complex concept, difficult to assess in precise or absolute terms. In general terms, it means that statistics for different populations can be legitimately aggregated, compared and interpreted in relation to each other or against some common standard. Metadata must convey such information that will help any interested party in evaluating comparability of the data, which is the result of a multitude of factors.

                            In some quality assurance frameworks, e.g. the European Statistics Code of Practice, comparability is strictly associated with the coherence of statistics.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COMPARABILITY

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Coherence

                            Comparability - geographical

                            Comparability - over time

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Comparability - geographical

Definition           Extent to which statistics are comparable between geographical areas.

Context               Geographical comparability refers to the degree of comparability between similar survey results measuring the same phenomenon across geographical areas or regions. The surveys are in general conducted by different statistical agencies, referring to populations in different geographical areas, sometimes based on a harmonised methodology.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COMPAR_GEO

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Comparability

                            Comparability - over time

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Comparability - over time

Definition           Extent to which statistics are comparable or reconcilable over time.

Context               Comparability over time refers to the degree of comparability between the results of two or several surveys related to the same domain, carried out by the same statistical agency.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COMPAR_TIME

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Comparability

                            Comparability - geographical

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Compiling agency

Definition           Organisation collecting and/or elaborating the data being reported.

Context               The concept is needed as two agencies might be compiling the exact same data but using different sources or concepts (the latter would be partially captured by the Dimensions). The provider ID may not be sufficient, as one provider could disseminate the data compiled by different compiling agencies.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COMPILING_ORG

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_ORGANISATION (used in order to use an agency-based Codelist that is also shared by other concepts; however, a different ID and separate Codelist may be suitable if the use case of this concept is different to that of an agency-based Codelist).

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Component

Definition           Structural artefact used to define the structure of a Data or Metadata Set.

Context               In the SDMX Information Model it is an abstract super class whose sub classes are the content of a Data Structure Definition or Metadata Structure Definition such as a Dimension or Attribute.

                            A "Component List" is an abstract super class whose sub classes are the lists of Dimensions, Attributes, and Measures defined in a content of a Data Structure Definition key family or Metadata Structure Definition.

                            The Component specification includes its Representation which can be enumerated or non-enumerated. An enumerated Representation of a Component links to a Codelist and a non-enumerated Representation is specified in terms of Facets which define characteristics such as "string", "integer", "Observational Time Period" etc.

Concept ID         COMPONENT

Related terms     Facet

                            Metadata Structure Definition, MSD

                            SDMX Information Model, SDMX-IM

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Concept

Definition           Unit of thought created by a unique combination of characteristics.

Context               At an abstract level, a Concept is defined in the Generic Statistical Information Model (GSIM) as a "unit of thought differentiated by characteristics". Concepts are used in different ways throughout the statistical lifecycle, and each role of a Concept is described using different information objects (which are subtypes of Concept). A Concept can be used in these situations:

                            (a)   As a characteristic. The Concept is used by a Variable to describe the particular characteristic that is to be measured about a Population. For example, to measure the Concept of gender in a population of adults in the Netherlands, the Variable combines this Concept with the Unit Type "person".

                            (b)   As a Unit Type or a Population. To describe the set of objects that information is to be obtained about in a statistical survey. For example, the Population of adults in Netherlands based on the Unit Type of persons.

                            (c)   As a Category to further define details about a Concept. For example, Male and Female for the Concept of Gender. Codes can be linked to a Category via a Node (i.e., a Code Item or Classification Item), for use within a Codelist or Statistical Classification.

                            In SDMX the concept can be given a Core Representation such as a reference to a Codelist for an enumerated Representation or other values such as "integer" or "string" for a non-enumerated Representation. This Representation can be overridden in the data structure when the concept is used as a Dimension or Attribute. A Concept with a core representation could be regarded as a represented variable.

Concept ID         CONCEPT

Related terms     Concept Scheme

                            Dimension

                            Metadata Structure Definition, MSD

Source                 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Generic Statistical Information Model (GSIM) Specification (Version 1.1, December 2013) (http://www1.unece.org/stat/platform/display/gsim/Generic+Statistical+Information+Model)

Concept Scheme

Definition           Set of Concepts that are used in a Data Structure Definition or Metadata Structure Definition.

Context               Structural definitions of both data and reference metadata associate specific statistical concepts with their representations, whether textual, coded, etc. In SDMX these Concepts are taken from a "Concept Scheme" which is maintained by a specific Agency. Concept Schemes group a set of Concepts, provide their definitions and names. It is possible for a single Concept Scheme to be used both for data structures and metadata structures. A core representation of each Concept can be specified (e.g. a Codelist, or other Representations such as "date").

Concept ID         CONCEPT_SCH

Related terms     Concept

                            Item Scheme

                            Reference metadata

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Confidentiality

Definition           Property of data indicating whether they are subject to dissemination restrictions.

Context               Data are protected by confidentiality in cases where unauthorised disclosure could be prejudicial or harmful to the interest of the source or other relevant parties. For instance, data allowing the identification of a physical or legal person, either directly or indirectly, may be characterised as confidential according to the relevant national or international legislation. Unauthorised disclosure of data that are restricted or confidential is not permitted and even legislative measures or other formal provisions may be used to prevent disclosure. Often, there are procedures in place to prevent disclosure of restricted or confidential data, including rules applying to staff, aggregation rules when disseminating data, provision of unit records, etc.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CONF

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Confidentiality - data treatment

                            Confidentiality - policy

                            Confidentiality - redistribution authorisation policy

                            Confidentiality - status

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Other link(s)       SDMX, "Guidelines for Confidentiality and Embargo in SDMX" (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=4345)

Confidentiality - data treatment

Definition           Rules applied for treating the Data Set to ensure that private information from individual units cannot be accessed and to prevent unauthorised disclosure.

Context               This metadata element is used to describe the rules applied when treating the data with regard to statistical confidentiality (e.g. controlled rounding, cell suppression, aggregation of disclosive information, aggregation rules on aggregated confidential data, primary confidentiality with regard to single data values, etc.).

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CONF_DATA_TR

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Confidentiality

                            Confidentiality - policy

                            Confidentiality - redistribution authorisation policy

                            Confidentiality - status

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Confidentiality - policy

Definition           Legislative measures or other formal procedures which prevent unauthorised disclosure of data that identify a person or economic entity either directly or indirectly.

Context               This metadata element is used to provide textual descriptions and references to legislation or other rules related to statistical confidentiality. It should provide the assurance that all necessary methods assuring confidentiality have been applied to the data.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CONF_POLICY

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Confidentiality

                            Confidentiality - data treatment

                            Confidentiality - redistribution authorisation policy

                            Confidentiality - status

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Confidentiality - redistribution authorisation policy

Definition           Secondary recipient(s) to whom the sender allows the primary recipient to forward restricted data.

Context               This concept is used in the exchange of restricted data in cases where the sender explicitly allows subsequent forwarding of these data to other organisations.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CONF_REDIST

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Confidentiality

                            Confidentiality - data treatment

                            Confidentiality - policy

                            Confidentiality - status

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Confidentiality - status

Definition           Information about the confidentiality status of the object to which this attribute is attached.

Context               This concept is related to data and determines the exact status of the value. i.e. if a specific value is confidential or not. This concept is always coded, i.e. it takes its value from the respective Codelist.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CONF_STATUS

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_CONF_STATUS

Related terms     Confidentiality

                            Confidentiality - data treatment

                            Confidentiality - policy

                            Confidentiality - redistribution authorisation policy

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Other link(s)       Codelist CL_CONF_STATUS (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

Constraint

Definition           Specification of a subset of the possible content of data or metadata that can be derived from the Codelists used in a data or metadata structure.

Context               There are two types of Constraints: Content Constraints and Attachment Constraints.

                            A Content Constraint specifies either the "allowable content" (used to restrict the values allowed when data or metadata are reported or exchanged), or the "actual" content (Series Keys and/or Dimension and Attribute Values present in a Data Source). In each of these cases the Constraint specifies a sub set of the full cube of data that could theoretically be present according to the specification of the Data Structure Definition or Metadata Structure Definition.

                            An Attachment Constraint describes subsets of the content of a Data or Metadata Set in terms of the content regions or in terms of the set of key combinations to which attributes or reference metadata (as defined by structure definitions) may be attached.

Concept ID         CONSTRAINT

Related terms     Attribute

                            Code

                            Codelist

                            Member Selection

                            Member Value

                            Metadata Key Set

                            Metadata key value

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Contact

Definition           Individual or organisational contact points for the data or metadata.

Context               "Contact" describes contact points for the data or metadata, including how to reach the contact points.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CONTACT

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Contact email address

                            Contact fax number

                            Contact mail

                            Contact name

                            Contact organisation

                            Contact organisation unit

                            Contact person function

                            Contact phone number

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Contact email address

Definition           E-mail address of the contact points for the data or metadata.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CONTACT_EMAIL

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Contact

                            Contact fax number

                            Contact mail

                            Contact name

                            Contact organisation

                            Contact organisation unit

                            Contact person function

                            Contact phone number

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Contact fax number

Definition           Fax number of the contact points for the data or metadata.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CONTACT_FAX

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Contact

                            Contact email address

                            Contact mail address

                            Contact name

                            Contact organisation

                            Contact organisation unit

                            Contact person function

                            Contact phone number

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Contact mail address

Definition           Postal address of the contact points for the data or metadata.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CONTACT_MAIL

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Contact

                            Contact email address

                            Contact fax number

                            Contact name

                            Contact organisation

                            Contact organisation unit

                            Contact person function

                            Contact phone number

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Contact name

Definition           Name of the contact points for the data or metadata.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CONTACT_NAME

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Contact

                            Contact email address

                            Contact fax number

                            Contact mail address

                            Contact organisation

                            Contact organisation unit

                            Contact person function

                            Contact phone number

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Contact organisation

Definition           Organisation of the contact point(s) for the data or metadata.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CONTACT_ORGANISATION

Recommended representation   String; Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_ORGANISATION

Related terms     Contact

                            Contact email address

                            Contact fax number

                            Contact mail address

                            Contact name

                            Contact organisation unit

                            Contact person function

                            Contact phone number

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Contact organisation unit

Definition           Addressable subdivision of an organisation.

Context               This contact refers to the contact point for data and metadata.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         ORGANISATION_UNIT

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Contact

                            Contact email address

                            Contact fax number

                            Contact mail address

                            Contact name

                            Contact organisation

                            Contact person function

                            Contact phone number

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Contact person function

Definition           Area of technical responsibility of the contact, such as "methodology", "database management" or "dissemination".

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CONTACT_FUNCT

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Contact

                            Contact email address

                            Contact fax number

                            Contact mail address

                            Contact name

                            Contact organisation

                            Contact organisation unit

                            Contact phone number

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Contact phone number

Definition           Telephone number of the contact points for the data or metadata.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CONTACT_PHONE

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Contact

                            Contact email address

                            Contact fax number

                            Contact mail address

                            Contact name

                            Contact organisation

                            Contact organisation unit

                            Contact person function

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Content-Oriented Guidelines, COG

Definition           Practices for creating interoperable elements in the SDMX model using the SDMX Technical Specifications.

Context               The SDMX Content-Oriented Guidelines comprise the Cross-Domain Concepts, the Cross-Domain Codelists, the Statistical Subject-Matter Domains, the SDMX Glossary, and various other guidelines providing guidance to implementers on specific issues relating to SDMX implementation (e.g. "Guidelines for the Creation and Management of SDMX Code Lists", "Guidelines for Confidentiality and Embargo in SDMX"). The Guidelines focus on the harmonisation of specific concepts and terminology that are common to a large number of statistical domains. Such harmonisation is useful for the efficient exchange of comparable data and metadata.

Concept ID         COG

Related terms     Cross-Domain Codelist, CDCL

                            Cross-Domain Concept, CDC

                            Statistical subject-matter domain

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Other link(s)       SDMX, "Content-Oriented Guidelines" (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=4345)

Cost and burden

Definition           Cost associated with the collection and production of a statistical product, as well as the burden imposed on respondents.

Context               The cost is associated with a statistical product and can be financial, human or time-related. It may consist of staff costs, data collection costs and other costs related to reporting obligations.

                            The burden is often measured by costs for the respondents (businesses, institutions, households, individuals) imposed by a statistical obligation. The overall burden of delivering the information depends on: a) the number of respondents; b) the average time required to provide the information, including time spent after receipt of the questionnaire ("recontact time"); and c) the hourly cost of a respondent's time.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COST_BURDEN

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Cost and burden - efficiency management

                            Cost and burden - resources

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Cost and burden - efficiency management

Definition           Cost-benefit analysis, effectiveness of execution of medium term statistical programmes, and ensuring efficient use of resources.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COST_BURDEN_EFF

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Cost and burden

                            Cost and burden - resources

Source                 IMF, Data Quality Assessment Framework (May 2012) (https://dsbb.imf.org/dqrs/DQAF)

Cost and burden - resources

Definition           Metadata element providing assurances that staff, facilities, computing resources, and financing to undertake statistical production are commensurate with statistical programs.

Context               It may include the contribution of respondent time in supplying information (burden) as a distinct subject under this heading.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COST_BURDEN_RES

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Cost and burden

                            Cost and burden - efficiency management

Source                 IMF, Data Quality Assessment Framework (May 2012), (https://dsbb.imf.org/dqrs/DQAF).

Counterpart reference area

Definition           Secondary area, as opposed to reference area, to which the measured data are in relation.

Context               The "counterpart area" (also known as "vis-a-vis area") is related to statistics on foreign trade, migration or other domains. It determines, from the point of view of the reporting country, the corresponding area to which the economic or other flows are related to (for instance, in statistics on imports, the counterpart reference area is the area of origin of the goods).

                            A categorisation of IDs per attachment level (COUNTERPART_AREA_DSET for dataset, COUNTERPART_AREA_GRP for group) is recommended.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COUNTERPART_AREA

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_AREA

Related terms     Reference area

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Other link(s)       Codelist CL_AREA (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

Coverage

Definition           Definition of the scope of the data compiled.

Context               This metadata element is used to describe the key dimensions delimiting the statistics produced, e.g. geographical, products, economic and other sectors, industry, occupation, transactions, etc., as well as relevant exceptions and exclusions. It can also specify the period of time for which data are provided.

                            The term "Coverage" describes the scope of the data compiled, rather than the characteristics of the survey.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COVERAGE

Recommended representation   String; Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_COVERAGE

Related terms     Coverage error

                            Geographical coverage

                            Population coverage

                            Sector coverage

                            Time coverage

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Coverage error

Definition           Error caused by a failure to cover adequately all components of the population being studied, which results in differences between the target population and the sampling frame.

Context               Coverage errors include over-coverage, under-coverage and misclassification. Incomplete sampling frames often result in coverage errors.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COVERAGE_ERR

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Measurement error

                            Model assumption error

                            Non-response error

                            Non-sampling error

                            Over-coverage rate

                            Processing error

Source                 Statistical Office of the United Nations, "Handbook of Household Surveys, Revised Edition", (para. 8.4), Studies in Methods, Series F, No. 31, United Nations, New York, 1984 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/household_surveys_1984_EN.pdf)

Cross-domain Codelist, CDCL

Definition           SDMX Codelist meeting at least one of the criteria below:

                            1)    Potential application across all statistical domains.

                            2)    Codelist maintained by the SDMX Statistical Working Group (SWG) on its initiative

                            3)    Codelist recommended as CDCL by the SDMX SWG although they are in principle maintained by third organisations.

Context               1) Potential application across all statistical domains.

                            Examples: CL_OBS_STATUS, CL_CONF_STATUS, CL_DECIMALS, CL_UNIT_MULT, CL_AREA.

                            Explanatory note: Key term for this criterion is "potential". These Codelists must not necessarily be implemented in all Data Structure Definitions (DSDs) but they potentially could. For example, Codelist "Unit multiplier" could possibly be used in all implementations dealing with statistical figures but some implementations might not see the need for such a Dimension because the statistical values do not require it, e.g. average number of children per household. Inversely, in this example a Codelist for decimals will be absolutely necessary.

                            2) Codelists maintained by the SWG on its initiative because 1) they are intended for broad use within the SDMX community and 2) there is a strong need for harmonisation across domains which are not necessarily closely connected with each other.

                            Examples for case 1: CL_AGE, CL_CIVIL_STATUS, CL_FREQ, CL_TIME_FORMAT, CL_SEX, CL_ADJUSTMENT.

                            Explanatory note: By proposing such Codelists it is hoped to promote harmonisation across domains and provide ready-to-use artefacts to implementers.

                            Example for case 2: CL_ACTIVITY.

                            Explanatory note: International activity classifications are typically used in different statistical domains (e.g. economic versus social statistics). Without an established CDCL made available in centralised registries, the risk is that one domain develops a Codelist without taking into account the fact that other domains might use the same classification system.

                            3) Codelists recommended as CDCL by the SDMX Statistical Working Group (SWG) although they are in principle maintained by third organisations.

                            Examples: CL_AREA (based on the ISO 3166 alpha-2 codes for countries); CL_CURRENCY (based on the ISO 4217 3-character codes for currencies).

                            Explanatory note: In these cases, the value added by the SWG is to propose guidelines on specific methodological issues, e.g. how to code a country that has been split into several new entities.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CDCL

Related terms     Content-Oriented Guidelines, COG

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Cross-domain Concept, CDC

Definition           Standard Concept, covering structural and reference metadata, which should be used in several statistical domains wherever possible to enhance possibilities of the exchange of data and metadata between organisations.

Context               Cross-domain Concepts are envisaged to cover various elements describing statistical data and their quality. When exchanging statistics, institutions can select from a standard set of content-oriented concepts. The list of concepts and their definitions reflects recommended practices and can be the basis for mapping between internal systems when data and metadata are exchanged or shared between and among institutions.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CDC

Related terms     Content-Oriented Guidelines, COG

                            Reference metadata

                            Structural metadata

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Currency

Definition           Monetary denomination of the object being measured.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         CURRENCY

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_CURRENCY

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Other link(s)       Codelist CL_CURRENCY (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

Data collection method

Definition           Method applied for gathering data for official statistics.

Context               There are a number of data collection methods used for official statistics, including computer-aided personal or telephone interview (CAPI/CATI), mailed questionnaires, electronic or internet questionnaires, direct observation, administrative data sources, web-scraping and crowdsourcing sources. The data collection may be exclusively for statistical purposes, or primarily for non-statistical purposes.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COLL_METHOD

Recommended representation   String

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Data compilation

Definition           Operations performed on data to derive new information according to a given set of rules.

Context               In quality assurance frameworks, "Data compilation" refers to the description of statistical procedures used for producing intermediate data and final statistical outputs. Data compilation covers, among other things, the use of weighting schemes, methods for imputing missing values or source data, statistical adjustment, balancing/cross-checking techniques and relevant characteristics of the specific methods applied.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         DATA_COMP

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Data validation

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Data Consumer

Definition           Entity that uses data.

Context               An organisation can play a number of organisation roles. In the SDMX Information Model, three roles are identified at present: Data Provider; Data Consumer; Maintenance Agency. The Data Consumer is relevant for data and reference metadata dissemination. Such systems may require access control. The Data Consumer can be linked to the Dataflows and Metadataflows via a Provision Agreement thus enabling a dissemination system to validate which consumers have access to which data and reference metadata.

Concept ID         DATA_CONSUM

Related terms     Item Scheme

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Data Consumer Scheme

Definition           Maintained collection of Data Consumers.

Context               In SDMX a Data Consumer Scheme comprises a non-hierarchic list of Data Consumers. Each maintenance agency can have a single Data Consumer Scheme, and may have none. The identity of the Data Consumer is a combination of the identity of the Data Consumer Scheme (which includes the maintenance agency) in which it resides and the identity of the Data Consumer in that scheme.

Concept ID         DATA_CONSUM_SCH

Related terms     Agency Scheme

                            Data Provider Scheme

                            Item Scheme

                            Maintenance agency

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Data exchange

Definition           Process of sending and receiving data.

Context               Data exchange should take place in such a manner that the information content or meaning assigned to the data is not altered during the transmission.

Concept ID         DATA_EXCHGE

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Bilateral exchange

                            Data sharing

                            Multilateral exchange

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Data extraction date

Definition           Date and time that the data are gathered from a Data Source.

Context               This information is in the Header of a Data Set, typically for processing by the receiving system in its administration of the Data Set.

Concept ID         DATA_EXTRACT_DATE

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Data description

Definition           Metadata element describing the main characteristics of the Data Set in an easily understandable manner, referring to the main data and indicators disseminated.

Context               This summary description should provide an immediate understanding of the data to users (also to those who do not have a broader technical knowledge of the Data Set in question).

                            Data can be displayed to users as tables, graphs or maps. According to the United Nations' Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, the choice of appropriate presentation methods should be made in accordance with professional considerations. Data presentation includes the description of the Data Set disseminated with the main variables covered, the classifications and breakdowns used, the reference area, a summary information on the time period covered and, if applicable, the base period used.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         DATA_DESCR

Recommended representation   String

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Dataflow

Definition           Structure which describes, categorises and constrains the allowable content of a Data Set that providers will supply for different reference periods.

Context               In SDMX, Data Sets are reported or disseminated according to a Dataflow Definition. The Dataflow Definition identifies the Data Structure Definition and may be associated with one or more subject-matter domains. This facilitates the search for data according to organised Category Schemes.

                            A "Dataflow", in this context, is an abstract Concept of the Data Sets, i.e. a structure without any data. While a Data Structure Definition defines Dimensions, Attributes, Measures and associated representation that comprise the valid structure of data and related metadata contained in a Data Set, the Dataflow Definition associates a Data Structure Definition with one or more Category. This gives a system the ability to state which Data Sets are to be reported for a given Category and which Data Sets can be reported using the Data Structure Definition. The Dataflow Definition may also have additional metadata attached, defining qualitative information and Constraints on the use of the Data Structure Definition, in terms of reporting periodicity or specifying the subset of Codes to be used in a Dimension.

Concept ID         DATAFLOW

Related terms     Attribute

                            Category

                            Data Set

                            Metadataflow

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Data Provider

Definition           Organisation or individual that reports or disseminates data or reference metadata.

Context               Data Providers are maintained in a Data Provider Scheme.

                            The Data Provider can be linked to the type of data (Dataflow) or reference metadata (Metadata Flow) that it reports or disseminates. This link provides the data collection system or data dissemination system.

Concept ID         DATA_PROVIDER

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Recommended representation   String; Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_ORGANISATION (used in order to use an agency-based Codelist that is also shared by other concepts; however, a different ID and separate Codelist may be suitable if the use-case of this concept is different to that of an agency-based Codelist).

Related terms     Data Provider Scheme

                            Item Scheme

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Data Provider Scheme

Definition           Maintained collection of Data Providers.

Context               In SDMX a Data Provider Scheme contains a non-hierarchic list of Data Providers. Each maintenance agency can have a single Data Provider Scheme, and may have none. The identity of the Data Provider is a combination of the identity of the Data Provider Scheme (which includes the maintenance agency) in which it resides and the identity of the Data Provider in that scheme.

                            The Data Provider is the owning organisation of data and reference metadata. These data and reference metadata are reported, exchanged, or disseminated as SDMX Data Sets and SDMX Metadata Sets. The type of data and metadata that are available are specified in a Dataflow and Metadataflow. The union of one Data Provider and one Dataflow or Metadataflow is known as a Provision Agreement.

                            In a data collection scenario the Data Provider is the organisation reporting the data or reference metadata and information can be linked with the Provision Agreement. Information linked to the Provision Agreement can specify where the data or reference metadata are located (data registration) and the data collector (as the Agency of the Provision Agreement) can specify validation Constraints such as allowable dimension values or Series Keys for which data can be reported.

                            In a data dissemination scenario information linked to the Provision Agreement can specify the location of the Data Source and the content of the Data Source in terms of Series Keys available (Constraint).

Concept ID         DATA_PROV_SCH

Related terms     Agency scheme

                            Data Consumer Scheme

                            Data Provider

                            Item Scheme

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Data reference period: See "Time period - collection"

 

Data revision

Definition           Change in a value of a statistic released to the public.

Context               Preliminary data are revised when more and better source data become available, or due to a change in methodology. "Data revision" describes the policy and practice for identifying the revision status of the data, as well as the availability of revision studies and analyses.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         DATA_REV

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Data revision - policy

                            Data revision - practice

                            Data revision - studies

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Data revision - policy

Definition           Policy aimed at ensuring the transparency of disseminated data, whereby preliminary data are compiled that are later revised.

Context               This metadata element is used to describe the general guidelines for handling data revisions applied by a data providing agency.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         REV_POLICY

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Data revision

                            Data revision - practice

                            Data revision - studies

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Data revision - practice

Definition           Information on the data revision practice.

Context               This metadata element is used to provide documentation regarding the source data used and the way they are adjusted, in order to give compilers the possibility of incorporating new and more accurate information into estimates, thus improving their accuracy without introducing breaks in the time series. It also describes the revision status of available data.

                            Data may also be subject to regular or ad hoc revisions as a result of the introduction of new classifications, compilation frameworks and methodologies which result in the compilation of historical data that replace previously released data. Whether or not such changes constitute an actual "revision" or the compilation of a "new" series is a matter of judgment to be done by the statistical agency.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         REV_PRACTICE

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Data revision

                            Data revision - policy

                            Data revision - studies

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Data revision - studies

Definition           Information about data revision studies and analyses.

Context               Description of periodic studies related to data revisions. These studies can contain quantitative measures of the effects of revisions, such as mean revision and revision variance in estimates.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         REV_STUDY

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Data revision

                            Data revision - policy

                            Data revision - practice

Source                 IMF, Data Quality Assessment Framework (May 2012), (https://dsbb.imf.org/dqrs/DQAF)

Data Set

Definition           Organised collection of data defined by a Data Structure Definition (DSD).

Context               Within SDMX, a Data Set can be understood as a collection of similar data, sharing a structure, which extends over a period of time.

                            The Data Set can be represented physically in three fundamental forms:

                            -      Generic Data Set: this format allows the representation of data structured according to any Data Structure Definition

                            -      Structure Specific Data Set: this format allows the representation of data structured according to a specific Data Structure Definition

                            -      SDMX-EDI Data Set: a specific case of generic using the UN/EDIFACT syntax and which has limitations on what can be represented. It supports time series only.

                            The Structure Specific format is new to SDMX version 2.1 and combines the functionalities of the version 2.0 Compact and Cross Sectional formats.

Concept ID         DATA_SET

Related terms     Dataflow

                            Data Structure Definition, DSD

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Data sharing

Definition           Exchange of data and/or metadata in a situation involving the use of open, freely available data formats and where process patterns are known and standard.

Context               In data sharing exchange, any organization or individual can use any counterparty's data and metadata (assuming they are permitted access to it). This model requires no bilateral agreement, but only requires that data and metadata providers and consumers adhere to the standards.

                            Apart from data-sharing, SDMX identifies two other basic forms of exchange of statistics and metadata between organisations, i.e. bilateral exchange and multilateral exchange.

Concept ID         DATA_SHARING

Related terms     Bilateral exchange

                            Data exchange

                            Multilateral exchange

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Data Source

Definition           Location or service from where data or metadata can be obtained.

Context               The location is a resolvable URL. There are three types of Data Source:

·         simple: where the URL will return a file;

·         REST: where a REST query will return a file;

·         queryable: where the URL refers to a service which can be queried.

Concept ID         DATA_SOURCE

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Data Structure Definition, DSD

Definition           Set of structural metadata associated to a Data Set, which includes information about how concepts are associated with the Measures, Dimensions, and Attributes of a data cube, along with information about the Representation of data and related descriptive metadata.

Context               A DSD defines the structure of an organised collection of data (Data Set) by means of concepts with specific roles, and their representation.

                            In order to exchange or disseminate statistical information, an institution needs to specify which statistical concepts are necessary for identifying the series (and for use as Dimensions) and which statistical concepts are to be used as attributes and measures. These definitions form the Data Structure Definition. In a data collection scenario the specification of the Data Structure Definition is often a collaborative venture between the collecting institution and its partners.

                            There are three types of construct in the DSD: Dimension, Attribute, and Measure. Each of these combines a Concept with its representation (this can be either a reference to a Codelist or a non-coded data type such as "integer", "string", or one of the "date/time" types.

                            The roles of the three types of construct (Dimension, Attribute, and Measure) are as follows:

                            A Dimension is an identifying Component, sometimes referred to as a "classificatory variable". When a value is given to each of the Dimensions in a Data Set (this is often called a "Key" or a "series") the resulting Key, when combined with a time value, uniquely identifies an observation. For instance, country, indicator, measurement unit, frequency, and Time Dimensions together identify the cells in a cross-country time series with multiple indicators (for example, gross domestic product, gross domestic debt) measured in different units (for example, various currencies, percent changes) and at different frequencies (for example, annual, quarterly). The cells in such a multi-dimensional table contain the Observation Values.

                            The DSD construct that specifies the Concept and expected representation of an observation is called a Measure. The semantics of the measure are derived from the Dimensions or a sub set of them and, if not specified in a Dimension, an Attribute indicating the measurement unit e.g. indicator and measure unit (gross domestic product percentage change).

                            Additional metadata that are useful for understanding or processing the observed value or the context of Data Set or series are called an Attribute in the DSD. Examples of an attribute are a note on the observation, a confidentiality status, or the unit of measure used, or the Title of a series.

Concept ID         DSD

Related terms     Attribute

                            Data Set

                            Dimension

                            Measure

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Other link(s)       SDMX, "Guidelines for SDMX Data Structure Definitions" (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=4345)

Data update - last update

Definition           Date of the most recent change of the data.

Context               This concept will typically be used as an Attribute in SDMX data exchanges.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         DATA_LAST_UPDATE

Recommended representation   Basic Time Period

Related terms     Metadata update - last update

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Data validation

Definition           Process of monitoring the results of data compilation and ensuring the quality of the statistical results.

Context               Data validation describes methods and processes for assessing statistical data, and how the results of the assessments are monitored and made available to improve statistical processes.

                            All the controls made in terms of quality of the data to be published or already published are included in the validation process. Validation also takes into account the results of studies and analysis of revisions and how they are used to improve statistical processes. In this process, two dimensions can be distinguished: (i) validation before publication of the figures and (ii) validation after publication.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         DATA_VALIDATION

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Data compilation

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Decimals

Definition           Number of digits of an observation to the right of a decimal point.

Context               A decimal is a fraction that has a denominator of a power of ten, the power depending on or deciding the decimal place. It is indicated by a decimal point to the left of the numerator, the denominator being omitted. Zeros are inserted between the point and the numerator, if necessary, to obtain the correct decimal place. Examples of decimals are 0.04 = 4/100 or 0.126 = 126/1000.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         DECIMALS

Recommended representation   Integer; Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_DECIMALS

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Other link(s)       Codelist CL_DECIMALS (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

Dimension

Definition           Statistical concept used in combination with other statistical concepts to identify a statistical series or individual observations.

Context               In SDMX, "Dimension" is a statistical concept used (most probably together with other statistical concepts) to identify a series, e.g. a statistical concept indicating a particular economic activity or a geographical reference area.

Concept ID         DIMENSION

Related terms     Concept

                            Data Structure Definition, DSD

                            Series Key

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Dissemination agency

Definition           Organisation disseminating the data being reported.

Context               This metadata element is needed in order to differentiate the compiling organisation from the organisation disseminating the data. The dissemination agency could be different from the reporting agency and the compilation agency.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         DISS_ORG

Recommended representation   Codelist; String

Codelist ID         CL_ORGANISATION (used in order to use an agency-based Codelist that is also shared by other concepts; however, a different ID and separate Codelist may be suitable if the use case of this concept is different to that of an agency-based Codelist).

Related terms     Compiling Agency

                            Reporting agency

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Dissemination format

Definition           Media by which statistical data and metadata are disseminated.

Context               This metadata element refers to the various means of dissemination used for making the data available to the public. It includes a description of the various formats available, including where and how to get the information (for instance paper, electronic publications, on-line databases).

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         DISS_FORMAT

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Dissemination format - microdata access

                            Dissemination format - news release

                            Dissemination format - online database

                            Dissemination format - publications

                            Dissemination format - other formats

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Dissemination format - microdata access

Definition           Information on whether microdata are also disseminated.

Context               This metadata element indicates if and how the Data Set is accessible as micro-data (e.g. for researchers). Also the micro-data anonymisation rules should be described in short.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         MICRO_DAT_ACC

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Dissemination format

                            Dissemination format - news release

                            Dissemination format - online database

                            Dissemination format - publications

                            Dissemination format - other formats

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Dissemination format - news release

Definition           Regular or ad-hoc press releases linked to the data.

Context               This metadata element covers press releases or other kind of similar releases linked to data or metadata.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         NEWS_REL

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Dissemination format

                            Dissemination format - microdata access

                            Dissemination format - online database

                            Dissemination format - publications

                            Dissemination format - other formats

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Dissemination format - online database

Definition           Information about on-line databases in which the disseminated data can be accessed.

Context               This metadata element provides a description of and link to the on-line database where the data are available, with a summary identification of domain names as released on the website, as well as the related access conditions.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         ONLINE_DB

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Dissemination format

                            Dissemination format - microdata access

                            Dissemination format - news release

                            Dissemination format - publications

                            Dissemination format - other formats

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Dissemination format - publications

Definition           Regular or ad-hoc publications in which the data are made available to the public.

Context               This metadata element provides references to the most important data dissemination done through paper or on-line publications, including a summary identification and information on availability of the publication means.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         PUBLICATIONS

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Dissemination format

                            Dissemination format - microdata access

                            Dissemination format - news release

                            Dissemination format - online database

                            Dissemination format - other formats

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Dissemination format - other formats

Definition           References to the most important other data dissemination done.

Context               Examples of other dissemination formats are analytical publications edited by policy users.

                            This concept includes, as a sub-element, "Supplementary data", i.e. any customised tabulation that can be provided to meet specific requests (including information on procedures for obtaining access to these data).

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         DISS_OTHER

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Dissemination format

                            Dissemination format - microdata access

                            Dissemination format - news release

                            Dissemination format - online database

                            Dissemination format - publications

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Documentation on methodology

Definition           Descriptive text and references to methodological documents available.

Context               This metadata element refers to the availability of documentation related to various aspects of the data, such as methodological documents, summary notes or papers covering concepts, scope, classifications and statistical techniques.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         DOC_METHOD

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Documentation on methodology - advance notice

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Documentation on methodology - advance notice

Definition           Policy on notifying the public of changes in methodology, indicating whether the public is notified before a methodological change affects disseminated data and, if so, how long before.

Context               This metadata element informs users in advance about major changes in methodology, source data, and statistical techniques.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         ADV_NOTICE

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Documentation on methodology

Source                 IMF, Data Quality Assessment Framework (May 2012), (https://dsbb.imf.org/dqrs/DQAF)

DSD for global use

Definition           DSD agreed by a number of international organisations for use within their respective constituencies.

Context               A DSD for global use is meeting one of the two criteria below:

                            1)     It is designed as a standard data structure for global use (i.e. having a very wide geographical coverage or cross-domain nature), with more than one SDMX sponsor organisation represented in the ownership group and one of the members of the ownership group acting as maintenance agency on behalf of the ownership group;

                            2 ) DSDs labelled as "global" by the SDMX sponsors considering the recognised expertise in the domain concerned of one of the organisations represented in the ownership group and the potential usefulness of the artefact for the whole SDMX community; in this case the DSD will have to meet strict criteria of versioning, governance, maintenance, adoption and endorsement.

Concept ID         DSD_GLOBAL

Related terms     Local DSD

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Economic activity

Definition           Combination of actions that result in the production, distribution and consumption of goods or services.

Context               An activity can be said to take place when resources such as equipment, labour, manufacturing techniques or products are combined, leading to specific goods or services. Thus, an activity is characterised by an input of resources, a production process and an output of products.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         ACTIVITY

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_ACTIVITY

Related terms     Economic sector

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Other link(s)       Codelist CL_ACTIVITY (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

Economic sector

Definition        High-level grouping of economic activities based on the types of goods and services produced.

Context           There is a general agreement on having a high-level breakdown of the economic activity in three main sectors:

·         Primary (Extraction, fishing, farming, etc.)

·         Secondary (Manufacturing)

·         Tertiary (Sales and services)

                            Some authors add two new categories:

·         Quaternary (Information and knowledge-based services)

·         Quinary (Human services)

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         ECO_SECTOR

Recommended representation   Codelist (Partial)

Codelist ID         CL_ACTIVITY

Related terms     Economic activity

                            Ownership sector

                            Sector

Source                 World Bank, "Sector Taxonomy and definitions, Revised July 1, 2016", (http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/538321490128452070/Sector-Taxonomy-and-definitions.pdf)

                        Site "BusinessDictionary" (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/economic-sector.html) (last consulted on 26 June 2018)

Education level

Definition           An ordered set which groups and classifies education programmes according to the knowledge, skills, competencies and qualifications which they are designed to impart.

Context               The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) is used to classify programmes and their resulting qualifications into levels and fields of education. It is a widely-used global reference classification for education systems which provides a comprehensive framework for organising education programmes and qualifications by applying uniform and internationally agreed definitions to facilitate comparisons of education systems across countries.

                            ISCED is the international framework for assembling, compiling and analysing cross-nationally comparable data related to students, teachers, educational attainment and education expenditure. ISCED 2011 is the second major revision of this classification (initially developed in the 1970s and revised in 1997). It was adopted by the UNESCO General Conference in November 2011 and is maintained by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS).

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         EDUCATION_LEV

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_EDUCATION_LEV

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Other link(s)       UNESCO Institute for Statistics, "International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED)" (http://uis.unesco.org/en/topic/international-standard-classification-education-isced)

Embargo time

Definition           Exact time at which the data can be made available to the public.

Context               Usually, there is a time delay between the finalisation of the production process of statistical data and the moment when the data produced are released and made available to the users. This point in time where data are made publicly available is called "embargo time".

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         EMBARGO_TIME

Recommended representation   Basic Time Period

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Other link(s)       SDMX, "Guidelines for Confidentiality and Embargo in SDMX" (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=4345)

Expenditure according to purpose

Definition           Breakdown of spending by institutional sectors between major expenditure functions.

Context               This concept is typically used in the SNA (System of National Accounts) where transactions are first analysed according to their nature, then, for certain sectors or kind of transactions, from the expenditure side, by purpose, answering the question "for what purpose?" The classifications supporting this concept are the following:

·           Classification of the functions of government (COFOG),

·           Classification of individual consumption by purpose (COICOP),

·           Classification of the purposes of non-profit institutions serving households (COPNI), and

·           Classification of outlays of producers by purpose (COPP).

                            The main purpose of these classifications is to provide statistics which experience has shown to be of general interest for a wide variety of analytical uses. For example, COICOP shows items such as household expenditure on food, health and education services all of which are important indicators of national welfare; COFOG shows government expenditure on health, education, defence and so on and is also used to distinguish between collective services and individual consumption goods and services provided by government.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         EXPENDITURE

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_COFOG; CL_COICOP; CL_COPNI; CL_COPP

Source                 United Nations, Statistics Division, "Classifications of expenditure according to purpose", New York, 2000 (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/publication/SeriesM/SeriesM_84E.pdf)

Other links         SDMX, Codelists CL_COFOG, CL_COICOP, CL_COPNI, CL_COPP (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

Facet

Definition           Format specification of a Component's content when reported in a Data or Metadata Set.

Context               This specifies the valid format for a non-enumerated domain for a Component.

Concept ID         FACET

Related terms     Component

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Fast-track change

Definition           Procedure followed to update at short notice an SDMX artefact, e.g. a Codelist.

Context               A fast-track change request can be triggered by any of the organisations in the ownership group. Only changes not breaking backwards compatibility can be issued as fast-track. Fast-track changes follow the same change management process as normal changes but are applied with immediate effect if approved and do not need to wait until the next annual maintenance cycle.

Concept ID         FAST_TRACK

Related terms     Ownership group

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Frequency of data collection

Definition           Time interval at which the source data are collected.

Context               The frequencies with which the source data are collected and produced could be different: a time series could be collected from the respondents at quarterly frequency but the data production may have a monthly frequency. The frequency of data collection should therefore be described.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         FREQ_COLL

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_FREQ

Related terms     Frequency of dissemination

                            Frequency of observation

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Other link(s)       SDMX, Codelist CL_FREQ (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

Frequency of dissemination

Definition           Time interval at which the statistics are disseminated over a given time period.

Context               The frequencies with which data are released, which could be different from the frequency of data collection.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         FREQ_DISS

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_FREQ

Related terms     Frequency of data collection

                            Frequency of observation

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Other link(s)       SDMX, Codelist CL_FREQ (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

Frequency of observation

Definition           Time interval at which observations occur over a given time period.

Context               If a data series has a constant time interval between its observations, this interval determines the frequency of the series (e.g. monthly, quarterly, yearly). "Frequency" - also called "periodicity" - may refer to several stages in the production process, e.g. in data collection or in data dissemination (e.g., a time series could be available at annual frequency but the underlying data are compiled monthly). Therefore, "Frequency" can be broken down into "Frequency - data collection" and "Frequency - data dissemination".

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         FREQ

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_FREQ

Related terms     Frequency of data collection

                            Frequency of dissemination

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Other link(s)       SDMX, Codelist CL_FREQ (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

Geographical coverage

Definition           Characterisation of the statistical units according to geographical criteria.

Context               The geographical coverage specifies the relation of the statistical observation to a kind of area like macro regions, countries, sub-regions, localities, and/or types of cities covered.

This concept is usually reference metadata, therefore modelled as an attribute in a DSD, or an MSD concept.

Here is an example showing Geographical coverage and Reference area usage from Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (SILC):

Geographical coverage (MSD concept): May exclude small parts of the national territory amounting to no more than 2% of the national population and the national territories.

Reference area (DSD Dimension): FR – France.

Another example from the 2014 household survey of Argentina:

Geographical coverage (DSD attribute): Main cities or metropolitan areas.

Reference area (DSD Dimension): AR – Argentina.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COVERAGE_GEO

Recommended representation   String; Codelist

Related terms     Coverage

                            Reference area

                            Population coverage

                            Sector coverage

                            Time coverage

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Global registry

Definition           Central and discoverable repository for SDMX structural metadata.

Context               The SDMX global registry is the central reference point and authoritative source for SDMX global Data Structure Definitions and related objects.

                            The contents of the Global Registry are subject to the SDMX Global Registry contents policy which defines the criteria that the SDMX artefacts must meet before the artefacts can be included in the Global Registry.

Concept ID         GLOBAL_REGISTRY

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Other link(s)       SDMX, SDMX Global Registry (https://registry.sdmx.org/)

                            SDMX, "SDMX Global Registry Content Policy" (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=4345)

Group Key

Definition           Set of key values that comprise a partial key.

Context               A Group Key is derived from the dimensionality of the Series Key for the purpose of attaching data attributes.

Concept ID         GROUP_KEY

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Group key structure

Definition           Set of metadata concepts that define a partial key derived from the Dimension Descriptor in a Data Structure Definition.

Context               The Group Key's structure that comprises the subset of Dimensions that specifies the structure of the partial key.

Concept ID         GROUP_KEY_STRUCT

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Hierarchical Code

Definition           Code reference that is part of a hierarchy.

Context               The Hierarchical Code references a Code in a Codelist and can have child Hierarchical Codes. It can also reference a Level in a Hierarchical Codelist.

Concept ID         HCL

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Hierarchical Codelist (HCL)

Definition           Organised collection of Codes that may be part of many parent/child relationships with other Codes in the scheme, as defined by one or more hierarchies of the scheme.

Context               The Codelist in SDMX can be hierarchical but it is capable of being processed as flat list as each Code can have only one parent code. A Hierarchical Codelist (HCL) is able to have multiple hierarchies and can have formal Levels. The Codes used in an HCL are derived from one or more Codelists therefore an HCL can combine Codes from multiple Codelists and define hierarchies from these Codes. For example, adding geographic codes such as continents or regions.

Concept ID         HCL

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Hierarchy

Definition           Classification structure arranged in levels of detail from the broadest to the most detailed level.

Context               Each level of the classification is defined in terms of the categories at the next lower level of the classification.

                            In SDMX this is known as a level based hierarchy. SDMX also has the concept of the value based hierarchy where the hierarchy of categories are not organised into formal levels.

Concept ID         HIERARCHY

Related terms     Level

Source                 United Nations Glossary of Classification Terms; prepared by the Expert Group on International Economic and Social Classifications, unpublished on paper

Hub (dissemination architecture)

Definition           Method of registering, querying, and disseminating data or reference metadata by means of a central, service-based platform (the hub).

Context               The hub architecture supports the "pull" method only i.e., a group of partners agree on providing access to their data directly from their database according to standard processes, formats and technologies (e.g. web service).

                            From the data management point of view, the hub is also based on pre-specified datasets, which are not kept locally at the central hub system. The query process operates as follows:

1.      a user identifies a dataset through the graphical user interface (GUI) of the hub using the structural metadata, and requests it;

2.      the hub translates the user request in one or more queries and sends them to the related Data Providers' systems;

3.      Data Providers' systems process the query and send the result to the hub in standard format (e.g. SDMX-ML 2.1);

4.      the hub puts together all the results originated in all implicated Data Providers' systems and presents them in the requested format. This could be a human-readable, non-SDMX format such as a table.

Concept ID         HUB

Related terms     Pull (reporting method)

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Identifiable Artefact

Definition           Construct that contains structures capable of providing identity to an object.

Context               In SDMX the identity comprises a mandatory Id and some optional attributes. Identifiable Artefacts inherit the capability of having Annotations.

Concept ID         IDENTIFIABLE_ART

Related terms     Annotable Artefact

                            Artefact

                            Maintainable Artefact

                            Nameable Artefact

                            Versionable Artefact

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Imputation

Definition           Procedure for entering a value for a specific data item where the response is missing or unusable.

Context               Imputation is the process used to determine and assign replacement values for missing, invalid or inconsistent data. This can be done by changing some of the responses or assigning values when they are missing on the record being edited to ensure that estimates are of high quality and that a plausible, internally consistent record is created.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         IMPUTATION

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Imputation rate

Source                 Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UNECE), "Glossary of Terms on Statistical Data Editing", Conference of European Statisticians Methodological material, Geneva, 2000 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/UN_editing_glossary_2000.pdf)

Other link(s)       Statistics Canada, "Statistics Canada Quality Guidelines", various online editions (http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?catno=12-539-X&CHROPG=1&lang=eng)

Imputation rate

Definition           Ratio of the number of replaced values to the total number of values for a given variable.

Context               The un-weighted rate shows, for a particular variable, the proportion of units for which a value has been imputed due to the original value being a missing, implausible, or inconsistent value in comparison with the number of units with a value for this variable.

                            The weighted rate shows, for a particular variable, the relative contribution of imputed values to the estimate of this item/variable.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         IMPUTATION_RATE

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Imputation

Source                 Eurostat "ESS Guidelines for the Implementation of the ESS Quality and Performance Indicators (QPI)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/64157/4373903/02-ESS-Quality-and-performance-Indicators-2014.pdf/5c996003-b770-4a7c-9c2f-bf733e6b1f31)

Incremental update

Definition           Data or metadata message that is used for changing a part of the content of a Data or Metadata Set.

Context               Such Data Sets contain only the data that need to be updated. For any one series the data may contain only attributes (i.e. no observations); or just data (i.e. no attributes); or a mixture of observations and attributes. Note that in an incremental update a set of data or metadata may omit mandatory attributes.

Concept ID         INCREMENT_UPD

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Indicator: See "Statistical indicator"

 

Indicator reference periodicity

Definition           Reference frequency of the underlying statistical indicator.

Context               This element is part of the unit definition of a variable; it is used to represent the periodicity of the statistical indicator. An example is for "Average weekly wage rate", the indicator reference periodicity is "Weekly".

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         INDICATOR_REF_PER

Recommended representation   Codelist

Related terms     Aggregation operation

                            Measure

                            Unit multiplier

                            Unit of measure

Codelist ID         CL_FREQ

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Institutional mandate

Definition           Set of rules or other formal set of instructions assigning responsibility as well as the authority to an organisation for the collection, processing, and dissemination of statistics.

Context               It also includes arrangements or procedures to facilitate data sharing and coordination between data producing agencies.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         INST_MANDATE

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Institutional mandate - data sharing

                            Institutional mandate - legal acts and other agreements

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Institutional mandate - data sharing

Definition           Arrangements or procedures for data sharing and coordination between data producing agencies.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         INST_MAN_SHAR

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Institutional mandate

                            Institutional mandate - legal acts and other agreements

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Institutional mandate - legal acts and other agreements

Definition           Legal acts or other formal or informal agreements that assign responsibility as well as the authority to an Agency for the collection, processing, and dissemination of statistics.

Context               The concept covers provision in law assigning responsibility to specific organisations for collection, processing, and dissemination of statistics in one or several statistical domains. In addition, non-legal measures such as formal or informal administrative arrangements employed to specific organisations for collection, processing, and dissemination of statistics in one or several statistical domains should also be described.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         INST_MAN_LA_OA

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Institutional mandate

                            Institutional mandate - data sharing

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Institutional sector

Definition           Aggregation of institutional units on the basis of the type of producer and depending on their principal activity and function, which are considered to be indicative of their economic behaviour.

Context               A sector is divided into sub-sectors according to the criteria relevant to that sector; this permits a more precise description of the economic behaviour of the units.

                            The institutional sectors combine institutional units with broadly similar characteristics and behaviour: households and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISHs), non-financial corporations, financial corporations, and the government. Transactions with non-residents and the financial claims of residents on non-residents, or vice versa, are recorded in the "rest of the world" account.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         INST_SECTOR

Recommended representation   Codelist

Related terms     Sector

Codelist ID         CL_INST_SECTOR

Source                 Eurostat, "European System of Accounts - ESA 1995", Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg, 1996, 2.17-2.18 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/product?code=CA-15-96-001&mode=view)

International String

Definition           Construct defining multi-lingual text for the same underlying concept.

Context               This is associated with the Name and Description of a structural metadata artefact. The text has an associated language therefore it is possible to define multi-lingual names and descriptions for any one structural metadata object such as a Code or Concept.

Concept ID         INTERNAT_STRING

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

isExternalReference

Definition           Construct that indicates whether an object is available in the metadata source that contains its identifier or whether the object itself is available elsewhere.

Context               This is used in structural metadata where the object is not contained in the structural metadata made available (e.g. in a structure message or in an SDMX Registry), but has a URI reference from where it can be obtained. Note that this is only available for maintainable objects such as a Codelist, and not for individual Codes.

Concept ID         IS_EXT_REF

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

isIncluded

Definition           Construct that indicates whether the contained values of a container object is to be included or excluded from the valid list of values.

Context               This is used in validity Constraints to specify if the Constraint lists the items that are included in the list of valid contents, or are to be excluded from the list of valid contents.

Concept ID         IS_INCLUDED

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Item Scheme

Definition           Descriptive information for an arrangement or division of objects into groups based on characteristics which the objects have in common.

Context               There are four types of Item Schemes in SDMX: Codelist, Concept Scheme, Category Scheme, Organisation Scheme (and four sub schemes: Agency, Data Provider, Data Consumer, Organisation Unit).

Concept ID         ITEM_SCH

Related terms     Agency Scheme

                            Category Scheme

                            Codelist

                            Concept Scheme

                            Data Consumer Scheme

                            Data Provider Scheme

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Job

Definition           Set of tasks and duties performed, or meant to be performed, by one person, including for an employer or in self-employment

Context               A set of jobs whose main tasks and duties are characterised by a high degree of similarity constitutes an occupation.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         JOB

Related terms     Occupation

Source                 International Labour Organization, "International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08), Part I: Introductory and Methodological Notes" (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/isco/isco08/)

Labour force status

Definition           Classification of the working age population based on the person's relation to the labour market in a short reference period.

Context               Persons of working age may be classified in a short reference period according to their labour force status as being employed, unemployed, or outside the labour force. The three main categories of labour force status are mutually exclusive and exhaustive. The labour force status of a person is established based on the activity principle, one hour-criterion and short reference period. While even during a short period, persons may be engaged in multiple activities, in the labour force status classification priority is given to 1-hour of employment over other activities; and to unemployment over outside the labour force. The latest international standards on this topic are contained in the Resolution concerning statistics of work, employment and labour underutilization adopted by the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) in 2013. The agency responsible for this topic is the International Labour Organization.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         LABOUR_FORCE_STATUS

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_LABOUR_FORCE_STATUS

Source                 International Labour Organization, "Resolution concerning statistics of work, employment and labour underutilization" (19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians - ICLS), October 2013 (http://www.ilo.ch/global/statistics-and-databases/meetings-and-events/international-conference-of-labour-statisticians/19/WCMS_230304/lang--en/index.htm)

Language

Definition           The system of communication used by a particular community or Country. In some cases, although they are called in the same way, languages have some variations between different communities or countries which are locales in the SDMX information model. The most common used standards to classify languages are ISO 639-1, ISO 639-2/T, ISO 639-2/B, ISO-639-3; ISO 639-1 use two letters codes and the others use three letters.

Context               Language could be used with two purposes:

                            1. To describe which is the communication system adopted by a particular community or Country.

                            2. To select the correct set of descriptions in a Codelist. The Codes used by statistical classifications are language independent but they are described by labels which can be written in multiple languages. In order to select the correct description for a specific context, it is needed to specify which language will be used to present those descriptions to a group of communities or countries.

Concept ID         LANGUAGE

Source                 ISO/IEC11179-3, Information technology — Metadata registries (MDR) — Part 3: Registry metamodel and basic attributes, Third edition, 15 February 2013 (http://metadata-standards.org/11179/#A3)

Level

Definition           Identifiable position to which codes in a scheme of codes are related.

Context               In a "level based" hierarchy the Level describes a group of Codes which are characterised by homogeneous coding, and where the parent of each Code in the group is at the same higher level of the Hierarchy.

                            In a "value based" hierarchy the Level describes information about the Hierarchical Codes at the specified nesting Level.

                            A Statistical Classification has a structure which is composed of one or several Levels. A Level often is associated with a Concept, which defines it. A linear classification has only one Level.

Concept ID         LEVEL

Related terms     Coding Format

                            Hierarchy

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Other link(s)       United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), "Generic Statistical Information Model (GSIM), Glossary", last consulted 15 February 2015 (http://www1.unece.org/stat/platform/display/gsim/Glossary)

Local DSD

Definition           Data Structure Definition (DSD) developed for the specific needs of one organisation only.

Context               An example is a structure for use in internal production processes.

Concept ID         DSD_LOCAL

Related terms     DSD for global use

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Maintainable Artefact

Definition           Construct that contains structures capable of providing a maintenance agency to an object.

Context               Maintainable Artefacts inherit the capability of having versioning name, identity and Annotations. In addition a Maintainable Artefact can have an indication that the artefact and its contained items (e.g. the contained items of a Codelist are the Codes) are "final" and there are restrictions on what type of change is allowed without changing the version.

Concept ID         MAINTAINABLE_ART

Related terms     Annotable Artefact

                            Artefact

                            Identifiable Artefact

                            Nameable Artefact

                            Versionable Artefact

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Maintenance agency

Definition           Organisation or other expert body responsible for the operational maintenance of commonly used metadata artefacts.

Context               The maintenance agency is responsible for all administrative and operational issues relating to an artefact or set of artefacts. It is the point of contact for all stakeholders for all issues related to the artefact(s) under its responsibility. The maintenance agency is not a decision-making body. Decisions are made collaboratively among the owners of the artefact.

                            Each identifiable SDMX artefact must have a single maintenance agency (though the maintenance agency could actually consist of several organisations or bodies), either directly (such as Codelist or a Data Structure Definition) or via the container in which it is maintained such as a code (maintained artefact is a Codelist) or a Dimension (maintained artefact is a Data Structure Definition).

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         AGENCY

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_AGENCY

Related terms     Agency Scheme

                            Data Consumer Scheme

                            Ownership group

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Map

Definition           Correspondence between two or more objects.

Context               In SDMX there are several different types of correspondence that are contained in StructureSet artefacts and have different types.:

                            - StructureMap: Used for mapping Codes in a Codelist

                            - ItemSchemeMap: Used for mapping different schemes such as ConceptSchemeMap, CategorySchemeMap, CodelistMap

                            - HybridCodelistMap: Associates a Codelist and a Hierarchical Codelist

                            Each map is a correspondence between the items in one scheme or list and the items in second scheme or list, where the schemes or lists must be of the same type (e.g. Codelists to Codelists).

                            The map can be specified at the level of the Dataflow or Data Structure, or the Metadataflow or Metadata Structure. The Map takes into account the Constraints that are attached to the structural artefact that is mapped.

Concept ID         MAP

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Other link(s)       Clickable SDMX: Structure Set and Mappings: https://statswiki.unece.org/display/ClickSDMX/Structure+Set+and+Mappings

Measure

Definition           Data element that represents a simple aggregation and which takes one or more vectors as arguments and returns a scalar.

Context               For this statistical indicator: "Number of accidents per thousand of population", the measure is "Number of accidents".

                            In an SDMX data modelling exercise, the modeller may typically decompose existing statistical indicators (say, from an existing exchange framework) into standard, normalised concepts such as Unit of Measure and other characteristics. An example is to take an indicator of Average weekly wage rate, and decompose it into the following concepts including Measure and its ancillary concepts:

·      Measure: Wage rate;

·      Unit of Measure: Currency per person;

·      Aggregation operation: Mean;

·      Indicator reference periodicity: Weekly.

                            The terms "Measure" and "Statistical indicator" have often been used interchangeably, therefore the existing uses of the terms may differ from the definitions described here.

Concept ID         MEASURE

Related terms     Concept

                            Data Structure Definition, DSD

                       Statistical indicator

                            Unit of Measure

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Measurement error

Definition           Error in reading, calculating or recording a numerical value.

Context               Measurement errors occur when the response provided differs from the real value. Such errors may be attributable to the respondent, the interviewer, the questionnaire, the collection method or the respondent's record-keeping system. Errors may be random or they may result in a systematic bias if they are not random.

                            Measurement error in a survey response may result from respondents' confusion, ignorance, carelessness or dishonesty; error attributable to the interviewer, may be a consequence of poor or inadequate training, prior expectations regarding respondents' responses, or deliberate errors; and error attributable to the wording of the questions in the questionnaire, the order or context in which the questions are presented, and the method used to obtain the responses.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         MEASUREMENT_ERR

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Coverage error

                            Model assumption error

                            Non-response error

                            Non-sampling error

                            Over-coverage rate

                            Processing error

Source                 The Cambridge Dictionary of Statistics, B.S. Everitt, Cambridge University Press, 1998

Other link(s)       Statistics Canada, "Statistics Canada Quality Guidelines", 4th edition, October 2003 (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/12-539-x/12-539-x2003001-eng.pdf)

Member Selection

Definition           Set of permissible values for one Component of a data or metadata structure.

Context               This is a part of a Constraint.

Concept ID         MEMBER_SEL

Related terms     Constraint

                            Member Value

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Member Value

Definition           Single value of the set of values for a Member Selection.

Context               This is a part of a Constraint.

Concept ID         MEMBER_VAL

Related terms     Constraint

                            Member Selection

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Metadataflow

Definition           Collection of metadata concepts, structure and usage when used to collect or disseminate reference metadata.

Context               A reference metadata set also has a set of structural metadata which describes how it is organised. This metadata identifies what reference metadata concepts are being reported, how these concepts relate to each other (typically as hierarchies), what their presentational structure is, how they may be represented (as free text, as coded values, etc.), and with which formal object types they are associated.

Concept ID         METADATAFLOW

Related terms     Category

                            Dataflow

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Metadata Key

Definition           Construct comprised of one or more Object Type/Object Id(s) in order to uniquely identify an item in a collection of reference metadata.

Context               For instance, for a Code or a Concept the Metadata Key would be their Id, such as the URN. For a specific key or partial key there would be two objects, the DSD and the Series Key. This is a conceptual structure as it is probable that the Metadata Key would combine the value of all of the individual Object Ids, as this would be necessary in order to find metadata quickly.

                            Metadata keys can be grouped into Metadata Key Sets.

Concept ID         META_KEY

Related terms     Metadata Key Set

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Metadata Key Set

Definition           The group of keys that identify items in a collection of reference metadata.

Context               A typical usage is to constrain a Metadataflow or Provision Agreement in order to validate the metadata exchange.

Concept ID         META_KEY_SET

Related terms     Constraint

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Metadata key value

Definition           Value in a Metadata Set of an identifier Component defined in a Metadata Structure Definition.

Context               This is a part of a Constraint.

Concept ID         META_KEY_VAL

Related terms     Constraint

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Metadata repository

Definition           Place where logically organised statistical metadata are stored that allows for querying, editing and managing of metadata.

Context               In SDMX reference metadata often relate to objects of the SDMX Information Model. These can be structural objects such as Dataflow, Code, Concept or Data Set objects such as partial keys (e.g. the value of a specific Dimension such as a country in the context of the Data Set) or even Observations. These metadata need to be managed and made accessible not only to systems disseminating the metadata but often also to systems concerned with data discovery, query, and data visualisation. Many dissemination systems unite the reference metadata with the data to which they pertain, even though these metadata are collected by different mechanisms, by different systems, and stored in different databases from the data.

Concept ID         META_REPO

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Metadata Set

Definition           Organised collection of reference metadata.

Context               In SDMX the Metadata Set must conform to the specification in a Metadata Structure Definition. The Metadata Set contains one or more reports, each report comprising the metadata content (a set of attributes and corresponding content), and the identification of the precise object to which the metadata are to be attached. The metadata can be attached to any SDMX artefact that can be identified (e.g. structural artefact such as a Code, Concept, Dimension or a part of a Data Set such as a partial Series Key or Observation).

                            In SDMX the type of report defined in a Metadata Structure Definition is known as "reference metadata" which are typified by quality metadata but can contain any type of metadata. These metadata are generally not reported with the data (as data attributes in a Data Set) and are often collected to a different schedule to the data, are derived from separate (from the data) repositories and collected from/reported by systems different from the statistical data warehouse.

Concept ID         META_SET

Related terms     Metadata Structure Definition, MSD

                            Reference metadata

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Metadata Structure Definition, MSD

Definition           Specification of the allowed content of a Metadata Set in terms of attributes for which content is to be provided and to which type of object the metadata pertain.

Context               An MSD defines the reference metadata to be collected or reported by specifying the concepts required, how these relate to each other, their presentational structure and to which objects they are to be attached.

Concept ID         MSD

Related terms     Attribute

                            Component

                            Concept

                            Metadata Set

                            Reference metadata

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Metadata update

Definition           Date on which the metadata element was created or modified.

Context               The date of the metadata update may refer to the update of a whole Metadata Set or to the update of any single metadata item. The update can refer to the file update (with or without change in the content) or to the date on which the metadata have been posted on the web.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         META_UPDATE

Recommended representation   Basic Time Period

Related terms     Metadata update - last certified

                            Metadata update - last posted

                            Metadata update - last update

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Metadata update - last certified

Definition           Date of the latest certification provided by the domain manager to confirm that the metadata posted are still up-to-date, even if the content has not been amended.

Context               In statistical agencies, the domain manager is often asked to certify that the metadata are checked and updated at regular time intervals. The date of the latest certification is to be retained. Such a certification can also be done if the contents of the metadata file have not been amended. The concept is relevant for metadata reporting from countries to international organisations within metadata standards initiatives.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         META_CERTIFIED

Recommended representation   Basic Time Period

Related terms     Metadata update

                            Metadata update - last posted

                            Metadata update - last update

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Metadata update - last posted

Definition           Date of the latest dissemination of the metadata.

Context               The date of the last posting (dissemination) of the metadata on the web site should be retained. This date will normally be inserted automatically by the metadata production system.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         META_POSTED

Recommended representation   Basic Time Period

Related terms     Metadata update

                            Metadata update - last certified

                            Metadata update - last update

Source                 Eurostat, "Technical Manual of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS)", Luxembourg, 2014 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/SIMS_Manual_2014.pdf)

Metadata update - last update

Definition           Date of last update of the content of the metadata.

Context               The last update of the content of metadata should be retained. The update can concern one single concept, but also the metadata file as a whole. This date will normally be inserted automatically by the metadata production system. The concept is also relevant for metadata reporting from countries to international organisations within metadata standards initiatives.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         META_LAST_UPDATE

Recommended representation   Basic Time Period

Related terms     Data update - last update

                            Metadata update

                            Metadata update - last certified

                            Metadata update - last posted

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Model assumption error

Definition           Error that occurs due the use of methods, such as calibration, generalised regression estimator, calculation based on full scope or constant scope, benchmarking, seasonal adjustment and other models not included in other accuracy components, in order to calculate statistics or indexes.

Context               Error due to domain specific models needed to define the target of estimation.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         MODEL_ASSUMP_ERR

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Coverage error

                            Measurement error

                            Non-response error

                            Non-sampling error

                            Over-coverage rate

                            Processing error

Source                 Eurostat, "Assessment of Quality in Statistics: Glossary", Working Group, Luxembourg, October 2003 (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/coded_files/QGLOSSARY 2003.pdf)

Multilateral exchange

Definition           Exchange of statistics and / or metadata between a sending and several receiving organisations for a specific Dataflow where all parties agree on all aspects of the exchange (including the mechanism for exchange, the formats, the frequency or schedule).

Context               This exchange process has the effect of reducing the burden of a sending organisation of managing multiple unique bilateral exchanges of statistics and / or metadata with several receiving organisations. This is also a very common exchange process in the statistical area, where communities of national and international institutes agree on ways to gain efficiencies within the scope of their collective responsibilities.

                            Apart from multilateral exchange, the SDMX initiative identifies two other basic forms of exchange of statistics and metadata between organisations, i.e. bilateral exchange and data-sharing exchange.

Concept ID         MULTI_EXCHGE

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Bilateral exchange

                            Data exchange

                            Data sharing

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Nameable Artefact

Definition           Construct that contains structures capable of providing a name and a description to an object.

Context               The name is mandatory and the description is optional. Each can have multilingual variants. Nameable Artefacts inherit the capability of having identity and Annotations.

Concept ID         NAMEABLE_ART

Related terms     Annotable Artefact

                            Artefact

                            Identifiable Artefact

                            Maintainable Artefact

                            Versionable Artefact

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Non-response error

Definition           Error that occurs when the survey fails to get a response to one, or possibly all, of the questions.

Context               Non-response errors result from a failure to collect complete information on all units in the selected sample. These are known as "unit non-response" and "item non-response".

                            Non-response errors affect survey results in two ways. First, the decrease in sample size or in the amount of information collected in response to a particular question results in larger standard errors. Second, and perhaps more important, a bias is introduced to the extent that non-respondents differ from respondents within a selected sample.

                            Non-response errors are determined by collecting any or all of the following: unit response rate, weighted unit response rate, item response rate, item coverage rate, refusal rate, distribution of reason for non-response, comparison of data across contacts, link to administrative data for non- respondents, estimate of non-response bias.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         NONRESPONSE_ERR

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Coverage error

                            Measurement error

                            Model assumption error

                            Non-sampling error

                            Over-coverage rate

                            Processing error

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Other link(s)       Statistical Policy Working Paper 15: "Quality in Establishment Surveys", Office of Management and Budget, Washington D.C., July 1988, page 68 (https://nces.ed.gov/FCSM/pdf/spwp15.pdf)

Non-sampling error

Definition           Error in sample estimates which cannot be attributed to sampling fluctuations.

Context               Non-sampling errors may arise from many different sources such as defects in the sampling frame, faulty demarcation of sample units, defects in the selection of sample units, mistakes in the collection of data due to personal variations, misunderstanding, bias, negligence or dishonesty on the part of the investigator or of the interviewer, mistakes at the stage of the processing of the data, etc.

                            Non-sampling errors may be categorised as:

                            -    Coverage errors (or frame errors) due to divergences between the target population and the frame population;

                            -    Measurement errors occurring during data collection.

                            -    Nonresponse errors caused by no data collected for a population unit or for some survey variables.

                            -    Processing errors due to errors introduced during data entry, data editing, sometimes coding and imputation.

                            -    Model assumption errors.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         NONSAMPLING_ERR

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Accuracy

                            Accuracy - overall

                            Coverage error

                            Measurement error

                            Over-coverage rate

                            Sampling error

Source                 The Oxford Dictionary of Statistical Terms, Yadolah Dodge (ed.), Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2003

Notification

Definition           Information sent to a person or application as a result of an event in an SDMX registry.

Context               The SDMX Global Registry has the ability to send a Notification message either by means of an e-mail or by an SDMX message to a URL of a service that will process the Notification. The sending of a Notification is triggered by an event in the registry that affects a structural metadata object in the registry, such as a change to a Codelist, a deletion of a Codelist, or the addition of a new Codelist.

                            The Notification is only created if there is one or more Subscriptions held for the object in question and it is sent only to the email addresses and URLs specified in the Subscriptions.

Concept ID         NOTIFICATION

Related terms     SDMX registry

                            Subscription

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Observation pre-break value

Definition           Observation, at a time series break period, that was calculated using the old methodology.

Context               At a time series break period, two observations may be recorded: the pre-break value produced on the basis of the old methodology and the post-break value, as measured by the new methodology. SDMX allows for a pre-break value in the case of a series break, where one would use the Observation Value to show the post-break value.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         PRE_BREAK_VALUE

Recommended representation   AlphaNumeric

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Observation status

Definition           Information on the quality of a value or an unusual or missing value.

Context               This item is normally coded and uses codes providing information about the status of a value, with respect to events such as "break", "estimated value", "forecast", "missing value", or "provisional value". In some cases, there is more than one event that may have influenced the value (e.g. a break in methodology may be accompanied with the fact that an observation is an estimate).

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         OBS_STATUS

Recommended representation   Codelist; String

Codelist ID         CL_OBS_STATUS

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Other link(s)       Codelist CL_OBS_STATUS (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

                            Possible Ways of Implementing CL_OBS_STATUS Codelist (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=4345)

Observation Value

Definition           Value of a particular variable.

Context               "Observation Value" is the field which holds the data.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         OBS_VALUE

Recommended representation   AlphaNumeric

Source                 SDMX, "Metadata Common Vocabulary", 2009 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/04_sdmx_cog_annex_4_mcv_2009.pdf)

Occupation

Definition           Kind of work done in a job as defined by the main tasks and duties performed.

Context               The concept of "occupation" is defined as a set of jobs whose main tasks and duties are characterized by a high degree of similarity. Persons may be classified by occupation through their relationship to a present, past or future job. A "job" is defined as "the set of tasks and duties performed or meant to be performed by one person for a single economic unit" (19th ICLS). The latest international standard for classification of occupations is the 2008 International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08). The agency responsible for this topic is the International Labour Organization.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         OCCUPATION

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_OCCUPATION

Source                 International Labour Organization, "International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08), Part I: Introductory and Methodological Notes" (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/isco/isco08/)

Other link(s)       Codelist CL_OCCUPATION (https://sdmx.org/?page_id=3215)

Organisation Unit Scheme

Definition           Maintained collection of Organisation Units.

Context               In SDMX an Organisation Unit Scheme comprises a flat or hierarchical list of Organisation Units. Each maintenance agency can have multiple Organisation Unit Schemes, and may have none. The identity of the Organisation Unit is a combination of the identity of the Organisation Unit Scheme (which includes the maintenance agency) in which it resides and the identity of the Organisation Unit in that scheme.

                            The Organisation Unit plays no direct role in support of the functionality of SDMX systems as documented in the technical standards (whereas Agency, Data Provider, and Data Consumer do play a distinct role). Therefore, this type of organisation can play any role and have any behaviour that is internal to the systems that use it.

Concept ID         ORG_UNIT_SCH

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Ownership group

Definition           Set of organisations which collegially endorse the responsibility for the governance of an SDMX Data Structure Definition and its related artefacts.

Context               The daily maintenance of the artefacts is delegated to one of the members of the ownership group, called the "maintenance agency". Proposals for changes are proposed by the maintenance agency but the decision-making body is the ownership group. There can be several distinct maintenance agencies within a given global SDMX implementation.

Concept ID         OWNER_GRP

Related terms     Fast-track change

                            Maintenance agency

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Ownership sector

Definition           Disaggregation of economy by public or private ownership of the economic unit

Context               Refers to the legal organisation and the principal functions, behaviour and objectives of the economic unit with which a job is associated.

Concept ID         ECON_OWNER

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_ECON_OWNER

Related terms     Economic Sector

                            Sector

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Periodicity: See "Frequency of observation"

 

Population coverage

Definition           Definition of the main types of population covered by the statistics.

Context               The population coverage describes the types of population as regards their earnings, the types of education, etc, covered by the statistics whenever applicable.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         COVERAGE_POP

Recommended representation   Codelist; String

Related terms     Coverage

                            Geographical coverage

                            Sector coverage

                            Time coverage

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Preferred scale

Definition           Exponent in base 10 recommended for displaying the data when the data is in unit scale.

Context               For example, PREFERRED_SCALE=6 indicates that observations should be displayed in millions rather than the unit scale.

The main use case for this concept is to render the data in a client that consumes SDMX data (for example, as a graph generator) where it is very useful to have a default scale preference already stated by the provider. It is intended that the value may be overridden by the consumer.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         PREFERRED_SCALE

Recommended representation   Integer

Related terms     Unit multiplier

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Price adjustment

Definition           Statistical technique used to remove the effects of price influences operating on a data series.

Context               Various economic aggregates (e.g. GDP, investment, household consumption) are calculated so that changes in value terms can be divided up into a factor that reflects the underlying price changes and a factor which reflects the volume changes. As a result of this sub-division, one can get an idea of how these aggregates develop after adjustment for price changes. For example, in order to measure the volume growth of GDP and its components, it is therefore necessary to remove the effect of price changes from the changes in value, by keeping prices "constant" as it were.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         PRICE_ADJUST

Recommended representation   Codelist

Codelist ID         CL_PRICE_ADJUST

Related terms     Adjustment

                            Seasonal adjustment

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Processing error

Definition           Error in final survey results arising from the faulty implementation of correctly planned implementation methods.

Context               Sources of processing errors include all post-collection operations, as well as the printing of questionnaires. Most processing errors occur in data for individual units, although errors can also be introduced in the implementation of systems and estimates.

                            In survey data, for example, processing errors may include transcription errors, coding errors, data entry errors and errors of arithmetic in tabulation.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         PROCESSING_ERR

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Coverage error

                            Measurement error

                            Model assumption error

                            Non-response error

                            Non-sampling error

                            Over-coverage rate

Source                 United States Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology, "Statistical Policy Working Paper 15: Quality in Establishment Surveys", Washington D.C., July 1988, page 79 (https://nces.ed.gov/FCSM/pdf/spwp15.pdf)

Professionalism

Definition           Standard, skill and ability suitable for producing statistics of good quality.

Context               To retain trust in official statistics, the statistical agencies need to decide according to strictly professional considerations, including scientific principles and professional ethics, on the methods and procedures for the collection, processing, storage and presentation of statistical data (United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, principle 2).

                            This metadata element describes the elements providing assurances that: statistics are produced on an impartial basis; elements providing assurances that the choices of sources and statistical techniques as well as decisions about dissemination are informed solely by statistical considerations; elements providing assurances that the recruitment and promotion of staff are based on relevant aptitude; elements providing assurances that the statistical entity is entitled to comment on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics, guidelines for staff behaviour and procedures used to make these guidelines known to staff; other practices that provide assurances of the independence, integrity, and accountability of the statistical agency.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         PROF

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Professionalism - code of conduct

                            Professionalism - impartiality

                            Professionalism - methodology

                            Professionalism - statistical commentary

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 2.0", October 2018 (https://sdmx.org/)

Other link(s)       United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/dnss/gp/FP-Rev2013-E.pdf)

Professionalism - code of conduct

Definition           Provisions for assuring the qualifications of staff and allowing staff to perform their functions without intervention motivated by non-statistical objectives.

Context               This metadata element is used to describe the policies promoting the recruitment and promotion of staff based on relevant aptitude; providing guidelines for staff behaviour and procedures to make these guidelines known to staff; and prescribing other practices that provide assurances of the independence, integrity, and accountability of the statistical agency.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         PROF_COND

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Professionalism

                            Professionalism - impartiality

                            Professionalism - methodology

                            Professionalism - statistical commentary

Source                 IMF, Data Quality Assessment Framework (May 2012), (https://dsbb.imf.org/dqrs/DQAF)

Professionalism - impartiality

Definition           Elements providing assurances that statistics are developed, produced and disseminated in a neutral (impartial) manner, and that all users are given equal treatment.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         PROF_IMP

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Professionalism

                            Professionalism - code of conduct

                            Professionalism - methodology

                            Professionalism - statistical commentary

Source                 IMF, Data Quality Assessment Framework (May 2012), (https://dsbb.imf.org/dqrs/DQAF)

Professionalism - methodology

Definition           Elements providing assurances that the choices of sources and statistical techniques as well as decisions about dissemination are informed solely by statistical considerations.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         PROF_METH

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Professionalism

                            Professionalism - code of conduct

                            Professionalism - impartiality

                            Professionalism - statistical commentary

Source                 IMF, Data Quality Assessment Framework (May 2012), (https://dsbb.imf.org/dqrs/DQAF)

Professionalism - statistical commentary

Definition           Elements providing assurances that the statistical entity is entitled to comment on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics.

Type                    Cross-domain concept

Concept ID         PROF_STAT_COM

Recommended representation   String

Related terms     Professionalism

                            Professionalism - code of conduct

                            Professionalism - impartiality

                            Professionalism - methodology

Source                 IMF, Data Quality Assessment Framework (May 2012), (https://dsbb.imf.org/dqrs/DQAF)

Provision Agreement

Definition           Arrangement within which the information provider supplies data or metadata.

Context               The Provision Agreement links the Data Provider to the relevant Structure Usage (e.g. Dataflow Definition or Metadataflow Definition) for which the provider supplies data or metadata. The agreement may constrain the scope of the data or metadata that can be provided.

Concept ID         PROVISION_AGR

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Pull (reporting method)

Definition           Data or reference metadata reporting method that requires the provider to make the information available at an accessible web location.

Context               In a SDMX registry environment the Data Provider will fulfil its data reporting requirements when the registry has accepted the registration. The URL should be checked by the registry as being valid and the registry may check that the data service or Data Set are valid.

Concept ID         PULL_METHOD

Related Term     Hub (dissemination architecture)

                            Push (reporting method)

Source                 SDMX, "SDMX Glossary Version 1.0", February 2016 (https://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/SDMX_Glossary_Version_1_0_February_2016.docx)

Punctuality

Definition           Time lag between the actual delivery of the data and the target date when it should have been del