·
SDMX-HD v1.0 specification
document ·
Getting started:
Quick steps to build your first SDMX-HD message ·
SDMX-HD v1.0
reference content and data dictionary ·
Sample 1: How to
exchange indicator definitions ·
Sample 2: How to
exchange indicator definitions and data |
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The adoption of
ISO/TS 17369:2005, Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) by the UN for
aggregate data will contribute to efforts to promote computer system
interoperability and data use. The SDMX-HD standard is the WHO implementation
of ISO/TS 17369:2005 which is implemented in the WHO Indicator and Metadata
Registry (IMR), a facility for harmonizing, managing, and publishing
computer-readable indicator definitions, and other applications in use in the
Health Domain (HD).
This document
is aimed at a technical audience with the primary objective of explaining how
to exchange indicator definitions and data using the SDMX-HD standard. The
reader is assumed to have good knowledge of the SDMX standard. Additional
documentation is available online from http://www.sdmx.org.
The SDMX User Guide version 2009.1 is a good starting point. A Google Group has
also been created to promote the development of a community around the SDMX-HD
to promote its use. The site can be found at http://groups.google.com/group/sdmx_hd.
The SDMX
standard describes statistical metadata through a data structure definition, or
DSD, which defines concepts, dimensions, attributes, codelists
and other artifacts necessary to describe the structure of data. In a parallel
manner, a metadata structure definition, or MSD, describes metadata associated
with data at observation, series, group, and dataset levels.
When these SDMX
structures are combined with metadata attributes recommended in international
standards harmonized across programmes, a message that will satisfy a majority of requirements can be
developed. The standards referenced in this document include:
·
ISO/TS
17369:2005, Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX)
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ISO
15836:2003, Information and documentation - The Dublin Core metadata element
set
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Data
Documentation Initiative (DDI)
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ISO/IEC 11179, Information
Technology - Metadata registries (MDR)
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ISO
4217, Codes for the representation of currencies and funds
The attributes
in the SDMX-HD provide an entry point into metadata management, a subset of
attributes from these standards having been incorporated into the SDMX-HD
model. It is expected that more metadata attributes will be adopted as the
business cases for interoperability mature.
Using XML as a
standard transmission format enables the seamless, multi-lingual transmission
of data and metadata. In addition, it eliminates peer-to-peer format
negotiation and facilitates interoperability with external systems.
Please find
more information about XML validation in the avoiding
common mistakes section. Commercial software offering professional XML
validation features is widely available on various platform:
·
One example is "Stylus Studio 6 XML
Professional Edition" available at http://www.stylusstudio.com
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Another set of very useful tools are provided by
metadata technology.
To
obtain more information about the SDMX-HD specification
please visit the SDMX-HD Google Group at http://groups.google.com/group/sdmx_hd
or contact:
Patrick
Whitaker World Health
Organization Tel. direct:
+41 22 791 1372 |
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