01
Where it fits and where it does not
Use these four checks before committing implementation time.
- Use it when
- Cross-domain integration where the same information appears in different structures and each transformation must remain understandable from business process to machine-level operation.
- Limits
- Version 1.0 is new and model rich; adoption and tooling are still scaling, and practical interoperability requires a constrained profile rather than implementing every class.
- Best for
- Cross-cutting teams working across Acquire → Harmonize → Exchange → Learn + reuse.
- Maturity
- ScalingUsable now, but adoption or tooling is still developing. Pilot the exact stack first.
02
See it in the workflow
This view shows the input, the change the standard introduces, and the resulting output.
- InputWhat starts
Cross-cutting source data, metadata, and local mappings
- DDI-CDIWhat changes
Use DDI-CDI as a pinned data model / schema across Acquire → Harmonize → Exchange → Learn + reuse
- OutputWhat becomes possible
A handoff the next system or team can validate against the same release
03
A concrete example
Model source and target datums, variables, classifications, structures, and transformation processes, assign stable identifiers, and serialize the scoped profile in XML, JSON-LD, or RDF for exchange and mapping automation.
Why it matters: Makes source-to-feature structure and transformation logic machine-readable across heterogeneous data, while domain meaning, quality thresholds, and permitted use remain external.
04
What it fits with
Works below DCAT catalog descriptions, can align registered concepts with ISO/IEC 11179, and adds structural and process detail that complements generic PROV-O provenance.
- FrameworkFAIR
Both support Cross-cutting work and meet around Acquire, Harmonize, Exchange, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - Ontology / data modelPROV-O
Both support Cross-cutting work and meet around Acquire, Harmonize, Exchange, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - FrameworkFAIR DMM
Both support Cross-cutting work and meet around Acquire, Harmonize, Exchange, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - Metadata vocabularyDPV
Both support Cross-cutting work and meet around Acquire, Harmonize, Exchange, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship
05
Implementation starter
Start with one bounded handoff. Pin, test, and review it before scaling.
Define one handoff, its accountable owner, and the decision DDI-CDI must support.
Pin the exact version and companion artifacts: 1.0 · current · published 2025-02-12.
Map one representative input to the required data model / schema artifacts.
Test the result against the canonical source and record every exception.
Preserve the source data, mappings, and review evidence before scaling.
06
Test the main limitation
Version 1.0 is new and model rich; adoption and tooling are still scaling, and practical interoperability requires a constrained profile rather than implementing every class.
Run one representative end-to-end pilot and record exactly where DDI-CDI loses context, needs an extension, or depends on another standard.
Machine-readable output may still be unfit for analysis or ML.
Test the output for missing context, provenance, terminology alignment, time leakage, and the intended downstream decision. Makes source-to-feature structure and transformation logic machine-readable across heterogeneous data, while domain meaning, quality thresholds, and permitted use remain external.
07
Official resources
Specifications, diagrams, examples, and guides from the organizations that maintain them.
DDI-CDI 1.0 specification
Official publisher or steward guidance for this data model / schema profile.
- Publisher
- DDI Alliance