1. Data Element Classification ISO/IEC 11179, Part 2
Bruce Bargmeyer
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Tel: (202)
Internet:
WWW:

2. Data Elements-Fundamentals
Object
Class
Property
Representation
Data
Element
Concept
Data
Element
Core
Data
Element
Application
Data
Element

3. Data Elements-Fundamentals
Object
Class
Property
Representation
Data
Element
Concept
Conceptual
Domain
Data Value
Domain
Data
Element
Core
Data
Element
Application
Data
Element

4. Classification - Fundamental Notions
What forms can classification take?
Keywords
Controlled Word lists, possibly based on models
Thesaurus
Taxonomy
Ontology
Acyclic directed graph, lattice
Multiple inheritance

5. Data Element ClassificationSC NC GA VA MD OH
…………
Definition
Unique ID
Name and Context
Maintenance
Organization
Steward
Classification
Registration
Authority
Others …..

6. Classification - Fundamental Notions
Each node in a classification structure is a taxon (plural: taxa).
The taxa relating to a data element can be listed in a separate attribute of a data element
With adequate software, users could access and navigate the classification structure
A nonintelligent identifier for each taxon helps to deal with change

7. Example Classification Scheme
Library of Congress keywords
General European Multilingual Thesaurus (GEMET)
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) - biological
Bill Kenworthey’s taxonomy of common abstract unit nouns

8. Utility of Data Element Classification
Help to locate one data element among many (thousands)
Help to design similar data elements in uniform manner
Help to resolve synonym and homonym problems
Provide context not possible to put into a definition
May provide definitions for words found in data element definitions and names

9. Status ANSI & ISO Final Draft IS going out for JTC1 ballot
Continuing R&D
Concept is evolving
Search engines
Middleware - agents, mediators, request brokers
XML tags
Relationship to terminology management