Enclosure (1) to COMDTINST 5230.42A
METADATA - Information about data, that is, the description of the data resources, its
characteristics, location, usage, and so on. Metadata is used to identify, describe, and define user
data and their attributes.
METADATA DATABASE - A repository of stored metadata that is shared and integrated. The
contents of an application's data dictionary is metadata because it contains descriptive: information
on data element attributes for the data used in that application. The Coast Guard Data
Administration Dictionary System (DADS) is a metadata database containing metadata about Coast
Guard cross-functional data elements.
OBJECT - A person, place, thing, concept, event or activity about which an organization wishes to
keep information.
PHYSICAL DATA ELEMENT NAME - A representation of the data element as it is stored or
physically implemented. A field name in a data file or database is a physical data element name.
PRIME WORD - A word used in a data element name which identifies the object being described
by a data element. The Prime Word represents the data groupings to which the data element
belongs.
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