ODC Standards

The ODC has a set of standards designed to ensure data is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). These standards make the data more useful for everyone, including your future self!

We can divide the standards into three types:

• Data Formatting specifications. What type of files to use, and how is data organized in these files?

• Common terminology. A set of terms (e.g., variables) that are pre-defined and allow for all shared data to have a common language. For example, this may include minimal required variables or common data elements.

• Metadata standards. Associated information about a dataset is needed to make the data FAIR. This includes a formatted data dictionary, information to generate digital object identifiers (DOI)