Data element

<h2 id="in-practice">In practice</h2>
<p>In practice, data elements (fields, columns, attributes, etc.) are sometimes "overloaded", meaning a given data element will have multiple potential meanings. While a known bad practice, overloading is nevertheless a very real factor or barrier to understanding what a system is doing.
</p>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Application_Discovery_and_Understanding/0YctuANd">Application Discovery and Understanding</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Data_element_definition/Gy5xWw64">Data element definition</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Data_dictionary/GyQLYd7j">Data dictionary</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Data_hierarchy/PFAG15Rm">Data hierarchy</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/ISO/IEC_11179/vPsvIhuN">ISO/IEC 11179</a> metadata registry specification</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Metadata/qt35z79C">Metadata</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Representation_term/clVjSMY5">Representation term</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Universal_Data_Element_Framework/0CTBH1Y0">Universal Data Element Framework</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Data_collection_system/LLYecLXV">Data collection system</a></li></ul>

<ul><li> This article incorporates <a href="/facts/Copyright_status_of_works_by_the_federal_government_of_the_United_States/Q1jvr96g">public domain material</a> from <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220122224547/https://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/fs-1037/fs-1037c.htm"><i>Federal Standard 1037C</i></a>. <a href="/facts/General_Services_Administration/Np3opv9x">General Services Administration</a>. Archived from <a href="https://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/fs-1037/fs-1037c.htm">the original</a> on 2022-01-22.</li>
<li> This article incorporates <a href="/facts/Copyright_status_of_works_by_the_federal_government_of_the_United_States/Q1jvr96g">public domain material</a> from <i><a href="/facts/Department_of_Defense_Dictionary_of_Military_and_Associated_Terms/dEgtm5MV">Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms</a></i>. <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_Defense/dWAvf7e3">United States Department of Defense</a>.</li></ul>
<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050826195309/http://xml.gov/documents/in_progress/developersguide.pdf">Federal XML Developer's Guide</a></li>
<li><a href="http://isotc.iso.org/livelink/livelink/fetch/2000/2489/Ittf_Home/PubliclyAvailableStandards.htm">ISO/IEC 11179 Standards</a> (see ISO/IEC 11179-3:2003 clause 3.3.36)</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Beynon-Davies P. (2004). Database Systems 3rd Edition. Palgrave, Basingstoke, UK <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Data element open-in-new

Data element