Metadata Working Group

Working Group Projects

ISO/IEC JTC 1 / SC 32 / WG 02

 

New Work Item Proposal (BNE 022)

Information Technology - Specification of Complex Data

Annex A: Technical Report Purpose and Justification

 

  1. Reason for the proposed standards activity

Many organization produce data for internal or external use. As a result, information that describes that data (metadata) must be readily available. With the advent of electronic access to data through the Internet and other media, the metadata must be accessible electronically, too. Metadata registries are deployed to manage and organize the metadata, and standards such as ISO/IEC 11179 address the content and basic functions of those registries.

Organizations around the world are implementing metadata registries based on the framework described in ISO/IEC 11179. However, the framework has limitations that constrain the usefulness of the registries. The proposed New Work Item will remedy some of these limitations.

ISO/IEC 11179 addresses the specification and standardization of data elements. The metadata that is specified in the standard described data elements at the fundamental level. Organizations that produce and use data generate new data elements from existing ones, and the standard does not address this issue. Also, object oriented technology, multimedia applications, and advanced scientific applications produce very complex data types that are not described very well by the standard.

Some data elements are generated from other existing ones in many ways. Mathematical calculations (e.g. variance estimations), aggregation (e.g. multivariate cross tabulation), concatenation (e.g. formation of telephone number from its constituent parts), or grouping (e.g. address) are typical examples. Metadata registries that contain the descriptions of how data elements are generated from others will help users to understand the data more fully.

Even the fundamental data elements of an organization, ones that are not generated from others in the sense described above, can be generated. The functions of the business themselves can generate data elements. Identifying these functions, especially within the context of the organization, will help users increase teir understanding of data.

Complex data types are gaining increasing importance in many applications. Satellite image data; video, audio, and voice data; and other complex data types need appropriate descriptions for increased sharing and understanding. Most current metadata registries assume data has a particular structure and types of allowed values. New data types require an expansion of the structure and an expanded understanding of the ways data can be represented.

  1. Main interests that might benefit from or be affected by the standards activity

People and organizations who wish to share, understand, locate, or otherwise use data will benefit from the development of this technical report. Benefits chiefly arise from expanded detail in the specification of data. Groups that will have an immediate benefit are ones that currently use data intensively and need a deeper understanding. Examples include researchers in academia and organizations in government and industry that produce data.

  1. Feasibility of the standards activity

The major factor that could hinder the successful establishment or general application of the standard is the perception that semantic differences across data are difficult to represent in computer systems. As computers and the software that run on them become increasingly sophisticated, especially with the Internet, this attitude is changing. It is now possible to obtain much information about a subject that was previously difficult or impossible to find. Information about data is no exception.

  1. Timeliness considerations relating to the standards activity

The underlying database technology expected to be used for this activity is reasonably stable. Metadata registries, the direct database application that this activity addresses, are expected to stabilize over the next few years, and this activity will help stabilize metadata registry technology.

It is not likely that advances in technology will render this proposed technical report outdated or obsolete in the near future. The expectation is the activity will help foster the development and usefulness of metadata registries.

  1. Urgency of the standards activity

Considering the needs of the main interests that might benefit or be affected by the standards activity, the work on this standards activity is fairly urgent. This activity will greatly increase the scope and depth of information in metadata registries.

The first CD ballot for this technical report can reasonably be expected by the end of 1999. The development of the standard will follow two tracks: one for understanding how data is generated, and the other for new data types.

  1. Benefits to be gained by the implementations of the proposed standard

If this standard is not established, the major interests will continue to use partially effective metadata registries. Data will not as easy to understand, use, and share.

  1. Relationship of the standards activity to regulations

No known policies, laws, or regulations have a direct impact on this proposed standard. However, local, state, national, and international laws may have indirect effect on it.