A user-friendly framework for metadata and microdata documentation based on international standards and the PCBS experience

Abstract

This paper discusses the experience of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) [1] in designing a user-friendly framework for metadata and microdata documentation. The PCBS uses two metadata specifications: the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) [2] and the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI) [3]. Both are defined in the Extensible Mark-up Language (XML) and the Resource Description Framework (RDF). This paper focuses also on the DDI and DCMI as well as its relationship to other relevant metadata standards (e.g., The Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX)) [4] and the semantic web technologies. We address the features of these standards as Richer content, Coverage, On-line analytical capability, Search capability and Interoperability since these standards are defined in the Extensible Mark-up Language (XML).

Keywords

Metadata microdata DDI DCMI SDMX RDF XML semantic web NADA PCBS OECD

References

Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS): http://pcbs.gov.ps/site/lang__en/1/default.aspx.

Data Documentation Initiative (DDI): Available at: http://www.ddialliance.org/.

Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI): Available at: http://dublincore.org/.

The Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX): Available at: http://sdmx.org/.

The long journey of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/ess/-/the-long-journey-of-the-fundamental-principles-of-official-statistics.

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 29 January 2014, http://unstats.un.org/unsd/dnss/gp/FP-New-E.pdf.

Pierson

, Official statistics principles compared, Statistical Journal of the IAOS 31(1) (2015), 21-23.

Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, http://www.unece.org/stats/archive/docs.fp.e.html.

The IHSN Metadata Editor, also known as the Nesstar Publisher: Available at: http://www.ihsn.org/home/software/ddi-metadata-editor.

10.

IHSN-developed National Data Archive (NADA): Available at: http://www.ihsn.org/home/software/nada.

11.

Vardigan

, Heus

and Thomas

, Data Documentation Initiative: Toward a Standard for the Social Sciences, The International Journal of Digital Curation 3(1) (2008), 107-113, ISSN: 1746-8256.

12.

Gregory

and Heus

, DDI and SDMX: Complementary, Not Competing, Standards, Open Data Foundation (2007).