Data Quality Criterion Controlled Vocabulary List of Terms

Title
Data Quality Criterion Controlled Vocabulary List of Terms

Date version issued
2026-06-03

Date created
2025-05-10

Part of TDWG Standard
http://example.org/to_be_determined

Preferred namespace abbreviation
bdqcrit

This version
https://rs.tdwg.org/bdqcrit/terms/2026-06-03

Latest version
https://rs.tdwg.org/bdqcrit/terms/

Previous version

Abstract
This document is a reference for the BDQ standard. It covers the vocabulary terms that are types of bdqffdq:Criterion (originally defined in Veiga 2016 and Veiga et al. 2017) and form the controlled vocabulary for bdqffdq:hasCriterion.

Authors
Lee Belbin (Blatant Fabrications), Arthur D. Chapman (Australian Biodiversity Information Services), Paul J. Morris (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University), John Wieczorek (Rauthiflor LLC)

Creator
TDWG Biodiversity Data Quality Interest Group Task Group 2: Data Quality Tests and Assertions

Bibliographic citation
TDWG Biodiversity Data Quality Interest Group Task Group 2: Data Quality Tests and Assertions. 2026. Data Quality Criterion Controlled Vocabulary List of Terms. Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG). https://rs.tdwg.org/bdqcrit/terms/2026-06-03

Status
Draft Standard for Review

Table of Contents

• 1 Introduction (non-normative)

  • 1.1 Purpose (non-normative)
  • 1.2 Audience (non-normative)
  • 1.3 Data Quality Criteria (non-normative)
  • 1.4 Associated Documents (non-normative)
  • 1.5 Term List Distributions (non-normative)
  • 1.6 Status of the Content of this Document (normative)
  • 1.7 RFC 2119 key words (normative)
  • 1.8 Namespace abbreviations (non-normative)
  • 1.9 Key to Vocabulary Terms (normative)

• 2 Use of Terms (normative)

• 3 Term index (non-normative)

  • 3.1 Index By Term Name (non-normative)
  • 3.2 Index By Label (non-normative)

• 4 Vocabulary (normative)

• Glossary (non-normative)

• References (non-normative)

• Cite BDQ (non-normative)

1 Introduction (non-normative)

1.1 Purpose (non-normative)

The purpose of this document is to provide the full term list for the bdqcrit: controlled vocabulary, which defines the values of bdqffdq:Criterion used in BDQ Tests. Each Criterion represents an abstract way of evaluating whether a data value meets expectations for a particular Use Case.

These terms are central to describing the logic of BDQ Validation and Issue Tests. They express the general kind of judgment being applied to a data value (e.g., whether it is complete, found, or unambiguous), helping users understand what each Test is assessing in a formalized way.

1.2 Audience (non-normative)

This document is intended for users who need a technical understanding of how BDQ Tests apply evaluation logic through the use of Criteria. It is especially useful for:

• Implementers interpreting or building Tests that rely on data quality criteria
• Standards developers and data quality modelers applying the Fitness For Use Framework Ontology
• Analysts and curators needing to understand the conceptual basis for Test evaluations

A working familiarity with the BDQ Test structure and the Fitness For Use Framework Ontology is helpful, though not required to benefit from this document.

1.3 Data Quality Criteria (non-normative)

The concept of bdqffdq:Criterion — originally defined by Veiga (2016) and Veiga et al. (2017) — describes, in abstract terms, how a data value may be evaluated with respect to a particular Use Case. Criteria such as Found, InRange, NotEmpty, Unambiguous, and others express broad evaluation patterns that BDQ Validation and Issue Tests apply to one or more bdqffdq:InformationElements.

While related informally to bdqffdq:Dimensions, Criteria serve a distinct purpose. A bdqffdq:Criterion articulates the type of judgment applied to data, whereas a bdqffdq:Specification captures the specific logic used to make that judgment.

Each bdqtest: Validation or Issue Test references a Criterion to clarify what kind of quality is being assessed. For example, the Test VALIDATION_COUNTRY_FOUND evaluates the value of dwc:country against a specified sourceAuthority, using the Criterion bdqcrit:Found to indicate that the key quality concern is whether the value exists in the authority’s domain.

1.4 Associated Documents (non-normative)

For the list and links to all associated documents see The Biodiversity Data Quality (BDQ) Standard.

1.5 Term List Distributions (non-normative)

1.6 Status of the Content of this Document (normative)

Sections may be either normative (defines what is required to comply with the standard) or non-normative (supports understanding but is not binding) and are marked as such.

Any sentence or phrase beginning with "For example" or "e.g.", whether in a normative section or a non-normative section, is non-normative.

Section 1.9 Key to Vocabulary Terms (normative) identifies which values in Section 4 are normative and which are non-normative.

1.7 RFC 2119 key words (normative)

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119.

1.8 Namespace abbreviations (non-normative)

The following namespace abbreviations are used in this document:

1.9 Key to Vocabulary Terms (normative)

The terminology used to describe the terms in this vocabulary follows the TDWG TDWG Standards Documentation Standard (SDS) (SDS). Each term definition includes the original RDF definition, and may also provide a TDWG-specific interpretation from the SDS, as well as a definition tailored to this local context.

2 Use of Terms (normative)

In an RDF context, a reference to a term in the bdqcrit: namespace MUST use the Term IRI (e.g., https://rs.tdwg.org/bdqcrit/terms/InRange) or Term Qualified name (e.g., bdqcrit:InRange). In a non-RDF context in which resources may be used by software (e.g., a value in a spreadsheet or database table) the Controlled Value String (local name, e.g., InRange) SHOULD be used. In a purely human context a label (e.g., In Range) MAY be used.

Each instance of bdqffdq:Validation and bdqffdq:Issue SHOULD have exactly one bdqffdq:hasCriterion property relating it to a term in this bdqcrit: vocabulary.

An instance of bdqffdq:Measure or bdqffdq:Amendment SHOULD NOT have a bdqffdq:hasCriterion property relating it to a term in this bdqcrit: vocabulary.

3 Term index (non-normative)

3.1 Index By Term Name (non-normative)

(See also 3.2 Index By Label (non-normative))

Vocabulary

bdqcrit:Complete | bdqcrit:Consistent | bdqcrit:Found | bdqcrit:InRange | bdqcrit:Likely | bdqcrit:NotEmpty | bdqcrit:Standard | bdqcrit:Unambiguous

3.2 Index By Label (non-normative)

(See also 3.1 Index By Term Name (non-normative))

Complete | Consistent | Found | In Range | Likely | Not Empty | Standard | Unambiguous

4 Vocabulary (normative)

Glossary (non-normative)

A glossary of acronyms and terms additional to those in the various namespaces can be found in the Glossary (non-normative) section of the Biodiversity Data Quality (BDQ) landing page.

References (non-normative)

The references for the BDQ standard can be found in the References (non-normative) section of the Biodiversity Data Quality (BDQ) landing page.

Cite BDQ (non-normative)

To cite BDQ in general, use the peer-reviewed article:

Chapman AD, Belbin L, Zermoglio PF, Wieczorek J, Morris PJ, Nicholls M, Rees ER, Veiga AK, Thompson A, Saraiva AM, James SA, Gendreau C, Benson A, Schigel D (2020). Developing Standards for Improved Data Quality and for Selecting Fit for Use Biodiversity Data. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards 4: e50889. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.4.50889

To cite this document specifically, use the following:

TDWG Biodiversity Data Quality Interest Group Task Group 2: Data Quality Tests and Assertions. 2026. Data Quality Criterion Controlled Vocabulary List of Terms. Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG). https://rs.tdwg.org/bdqcrit/terms/2026-06-03

Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG)

This content made open by Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) is licensed under a Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY) License.