ISO/IEC 11179-2:2000
(Main)Information technology — Specification and standardization of data elements — Part 2: Classification for data elements
Information technology — Specification and standardization of data elements — Part 2: Classification for data elements
Technologies de l'information — Spécification et normalisation des éléments de données — Partie 2: Classification des éléments de données
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Standards Content (Sample)
INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 11179-2
First edition
2000-02-15
Information technology — Specification
and standardization of data elements —
Part 2:
Classification for data elements
Technologies de l'information — Spécification et normalisation des
éléments de données —
Partie 2: Classification des éléments de données
Reference number
ISO/IEC 11179-2:2000(E)
©
ISO/IEC 2000
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ISO/IEC 11179-2:2000(E)
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ISO/IEC 11179-2:2000(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission)
form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of ISO or IEC
participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees established by the
respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC technical committees
collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in
liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 3.
In the field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
Draft International Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting.
Publication as an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this part of ISO/IEC 11179 may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard ISO/IEC 11179-2 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information
Technology, Subcommittee SC 32, Data management and interchange.
ISO/IEC 11179 consists of the following parts, under the general title Information technology – Specification and
standardization of data elements:
� Part 1: Framework for the specification and standardization of data elements
� Part 2: Classification for data elements
� Part 3: Basic attributes of data elements
� Part 4: Rules and guidelines for the formulation of data definitions
� Part 5: Naming and identification principles for data elements
� Part 6: Registration of data elements
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ISO/IEC 11179-2:2000(E)
Introduction
This part of ISO/IEC 11179 provides the basis for documenting, through a specific set of attributes, the
classification aspects of data elements. There are many efforts underway to devise classification schemes and to
use the schemes to build and populate classification structures. For the purpose of this part of ISO/IEC 11179, the
following are all considered types of classification schemes of varying discriminatory power: key words, thesauri,
taxonomies, and ontologies. These classification schemes have potentially great utility when associated with
various aspects of data elements.
There are several purposes for applying classification to data elements. Classification assists users to find a single
data element from among many data elements, facilitates data administration analysis of data elements and,
through inheritance, conveys semantic content that is often only incompletely specified by other attributes, such as
names and definitions.
The classification schemes accommodated in this Part have utility for
� deriving and formulating abstract and application data elements
� ensuring appropriate attribute and attribute-value inheritance
� deriving names from a controlled vocabulary
� disambiguating
� recognizing superordinate, coordinate, and subordinate data element concepts
� recognizing relationships among data element concepts and data elements
� assisting in the development of modularly designed names and definitions.
Each type of classification scheme mentioned above has particular strengths and weaknesses, and provides the
foundation upon which particular capabilities can be built. Keywords, for example, are a quick way to provide users
some assistance in locating potentially useful data elements. A thesaurus provides a more structured approach,
arranging descriptive terms in a structure of broader, narrower, and related classification categories. A taxonomy
provides a classification structure that adds the power of inheritance of meaning from generalized taxa to
specialized taxa. Ontologies, with associated epistemologies, can provide rich, rigorously defined structures (e.g.,
directed acyclic graphs with multiple inheritance) that can convey information needed by software components,
such as intelligent agents and mediators, which are useful in the provision of intelligent information services.
The term data element refers to data element type; the shorter term is used for convenience.
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 11179-2:1999(E)
Information technology – Specification and standardization of data
elements —
Part 2:
Classification for data elements
1 Scope
This part of ISO/IEC 11179 provides procedures and techniques for associating data with classification schemes.
Several components of data elements invite classification—components covered by ISO/IEC 11179—include
object classes, properties, representations, value domains, and data element concepts, as well as data elements
themselves. The procedures and techniques specified in ISO/IEC 11179-2 will enable Registration Authorities to
apply classification schemes that better enable one to
� analyze object classes, data element concepts, and data elements
� make comparisons within the following categories: object classes, properties, representations, data element
concepts, and data elements
� reduce the variety of data element concepts and data elements
� identify, describe, and define data element concepts and data elements unambiguously
� assist in the analysis of data elements for the purpose of assigning registration status
� address synonym and homonym problems
� retrieve data element concepts and data elements from a data register
� recognize relationships among data element concepts and data elements
� support the unique and unambiguous identification and referencing of object classes, data element concepts,
and data elements in a manner that is linguistically neutral and information technology enabled.
The preparation of ISO/IEC 11179 has also been prompted by the need for standardized data design procedures
that will ensure the emergence of data elements capable of supporting electronic data interchange.
This part of ISO/IEC 11179 develops a set of principles, methods, and procedures for specifying what is needed (at
a minimum) to document the association between the various components of a data element and one or more
classification schemes. This includes the names, nonintelligent identifiers, definitions, and other aspects of the
classification scheme and its contents. These can be captured through use of a set of attributes. Particular
attributes are specified in this part of ISO/IEC 11179, along with a structure for the contents of these attributes.
Users may extend the set of attributes as necessary. Additional information may accompany a taxonomy or
ontology; for example, to provide a suggested set of qualifiers that could be applied to the object class, property, or
representation taxa to more fully qualify the classification of the particular data element. This part of ISO/IEC
11179 builds upon and utilizes the basic attributes specified in ISO/IEC 11179-3 of ISO/IEC 11179.
An example included in 3.4 shows how selected components of data elements can be associated with a
classification scheme through the attributes specified herein. Use of one or more classification schemes is
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ISO/IEC 11179-2:2000(E)
intended to provide a sound conceptual basis for the development of metadata having enhanced semantic purity
and design integrity.
ISO/IEC 11179-2 does not establish a particular classification scheme as preeminent. Sanction of a particular
taxonomic approach and/or a particular epistemology is also beyond the scope of ISO/IEC 11179-2. These are
addressed by other standards committees and/or tend to be tailored to a particular domain of discourse. The
power of the classification scheme and the utility of the content are appropriate areas for competition. Other
standards committees are developing or have developed normative languages for use in classification and/or
particular techniques and structures that can be accommodated by ISO/IEC 11179-2. For example, the National
Information Standards Organization (NISO) h
...
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