Enclosure (1) to COMDTINST 5230.42A
DATA BASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - The data processing system that provides the means
to store, organize, and access the information in a data base.
DATA DICTIONARY - A logically centralized repository of information about data (metadata)
such as meaning, relationships to other data, origin, usage and format.
DATA ELEMENT - The most basic unit of data that can be identified and described. A data
element consists of a data element name and attributes describing what it is, its representation and
relationships to other entities.
DATA ELEMENT ALIAS - A data element alias identifies a data element in use in a specific
information system at a specific location. It will be used to bridge current non standard names
being used in fielded information systems.
DATA ELEMENT COHESION - A cohesive data element refers to a single concept. It has one,
and only one, purpose.
DATA ELEMENT STANDARDIZATION - (1) The concept that the characteristics of each
shared data element (i.e., name definition, ownership, usage, format, etc.) are defined uniquely and
accepted by all data users across an organization. (2) The process of documenting the uniform
identification, definition and representation of data in accordance with established rules.
DATA ENTITY - A class of objects of concern to an organization, about which information is
maintained, usually on a computerized system. These objects are units of data or aggregates of
data, for example, element, file, record, and report.
DATA INDEPENDENCE - The ability of various users (or applications) to have different views
of the same data. Specifically, the way data is logically defined and utilized does not depend on a
specific application, storage structure, or access strategy.
without unintentional changes; the ability to produce results that are correct to a predefined level
and to maintain data availability; the concept that the data element will be defined and used for one,
and only one, purpose.
DATA MODEL - A logical representation of a collection of data elements and the relationships
among these elements. A data model can be used to represent data usage throughout an
organization (enterprise model) or can represent a single data base structure (logical data base
model).
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