OECD Expert Group on Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (Geneva, May 2007) Update on technical standards, guidelines and tools Metadata Common Vocabulary (MCV) Work in progress and issues, March April 2007 Marco Pellegrino Eurostat Denis Ward OECD

1 Metadata Common Vocabulary (M.C.V.) n The MCV is one of the four initiatives launched at the very beginning of SDMX, in n Presented, for the first time, in “Developing a common understanding of standard metadata components: a statistical glossary”, M. Pellegrino and D. Ward, Workshop on Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange, Washington D.C., 6-7 September 2001.

2 Eurostat-OECD joint initiative (OECD glossary, CODED) Developing a common understanding on meaning of: - general concepts (metadata, quality,…) - basic detailed metadata components Facilitating a mapping of different metadata systems, independently from any specific metadata model Building on existing sources for avoiding a proliferation of “standard” terminologies Starting point

3  Basic idea: When sharing data, we must speak the same language Starting point

4 Expected benefits and use  Improved access to a set of standard definitions of metadata terms through a single entry point  Support to standardisation and consistency of metadata compiled  Facilitate comparisons across geographical entities  Support to XML structures and web services for searching and comparing statistical data and metadata with minimum need to determine “semantic equivalence”  Facilitate mapping of different metadata systems, independently from any specific metadata model

5 Content of MCV by categories (March 2006) Number of terms384 of which: synonyms 29 Definitions355 SDMX exchange terms (authored by “SDMX” or directly related to)138 General Concepts (indirectly related to SDMX)246 Sources used: Almost 70 different published documents or glossaries

6 SDMX MCV Glossary Fields n Title (mandatory) n Definition (mandatory) n Context for the definition (optional, but widely used) n Definition source (mandatory) n Links to related terms within the glossary (optional) n URL to more detailed information (optional)

7 Glossary relationships MCV (380) Eurostat - OECD Glossaries (7 600) SDMX cross domain Concepts (26) SDMX cross domain Concepts (26) Eurostat / OECD Terminology Eurostat / OECD Terminology National terminology National terminology

8 MCV Output Stand-alone file:PDF (from Word / HTML SDMX-ML (in 2007) Web glossary with extraction facilities:Eurostat CODED OECD Glossary Working paper: Eurostat-OECD, “Using the MCV terminology for mapping metadata from different institutions”, METIS work session, Geneva, 3-5 April

9 MCV – Issues for discussion  Relevance of terms currently in the MCV; suggestions for definitions and additional terms  Use of MCV and common concepts in connection with metadata systems and national glossaries (mapping)  Maintenance and periodic revisions  Use of registry facilities for notifying interest and launching a public review  Discussion and endorsement by the Heads of sponsoring organisations

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