Determine the Elements
The first step to building a data dictionary is to determine which of your data
sources needs a data dictionary and whether the elements have been identified.
Work with your peers to develop one or more critical questions that should be answered
by the data. Consider any federal, state, or local reporting requirements to help
with determining the needs.
Build a Connection to define the elements, selection
criteria, and computational requirements for each pre-determined critical question.
If you are interested in answering multiple critical questions with a single data
source, use the Select Connections See Elements
report to create a master list of elements across all of your Connections.
Create the Data Dictionary
The CEDS tool, Align, is a data dictionary/metadata management tool. Create a map in Align, upload the metadata information about the data source’s elements, and align the elements to CEDS.
Share the Data Dictionary
Sharing the Data Dictionary means others have the ability to see the metadata for your data source. You can share with users of your choosing or with all CEDS users. To share a map, access your map via Manage Maps in Align. In the map’s menu, select Using the Map > Share Map.
Additional Resources
Below are additional CEDS resources that may be helpful.