Enterprise Data Catalog

The Enterprise Data Catalog is an inventory of the Commonwealth’s data assets. This repository of data combined with metadata is a powerful tool for self-service business intelligence, empowering Commonwealth agencies to make more informed decisions. The Commonwealth Metadata Dictionary is accessible to everyone, supporting data discovery and sharing. Metadata is essentially “data about data” or what is needed to enable the discovery and use of data by a defined set of users. This includes names of data tables, data elements within the tables and views, descriptions of the data elements, and how it is related to other data that individuals might want to use. The metadata provides valuable context about data assets that enable individuals to share data in useful ways. Well-defined metadata can enable the transformation of data into intelligence and actionable insight. Some metadata contains information relevant to the retention and archiving requirements for data and allows organizations to track data assets for compliance purposes. Finally, when fully documented, metadata contains provenance and sourcing information that enables data analysts and data scientists to accurately cite data for research purposes. Metadata standards are important to help ensure interoperability between systems and enhance the discovery of, and access to, data.

The Commonwealth Metadata Dictionary provides valuable context about data assets that enable individuals to share data in useful ways, ultimately enabling the transformation of data into intelligence and actionable insight.

Metadata Dictionary