Data Quality Dimension Controlled Vocabulary List of Terms

Title
Data Quality Dimension 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
bdqdim

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

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

Previous version

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

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 Dimension Controlled Vocabulary List of Terms. Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG). https://rs.tdwg.org/bdqdim/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 Dimensions (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)

  • 2,1 Mapping to DQV Dimension (non-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 bdqdim: controlled vocabulary, which defines the values of bdqffdq:DataQualityDimension used in BDQ Tests. Each Data Quality Dimension describes a specific aspect of quality that a Test is intended to assess, such as completeness, conformance, or reliability.

These Dimensions serve as a semantic anchor for describing the intent of Tests and enable structured classification and interpretation of Test results across diverse Use Cases.

1.2 Audience (non-normative)

This document is intended for users who need a technical understanding of how BDQ Tests relate to conceptual Dimensions of data quality. It will be especially useful for:

• Implementers who need to map Tests to Dimensions in automated systems
• Standards developers and data quality modelers applying the Fitness For Use Framework Ontology
• Analysts and curators needing to understand the conceptual basis for different Tests’ evaluation

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 Dimensions (non-normative)

The concept of bdqffdq:DataQualityDimension, originally introduced by Veiga (2016) and Veiga et al. (2017), represents the aspect or attribute of data quality being evaluated. Common Dimensions include Completeness, Conformance, Consistency, Likeliness, Reliability, and Resolution. These serve as high-level categories that group Tests according to the type of quality issue they address.

Dimensions are measurable characteristics of an bdqffdq:InformationElement and provide insight into how quality is defined and assessed for a given Use Case.

Each BDQ Test typically evaluates one or more data values (Information Elements) with respect to a single Data Quality Dimension. For example, the Test VALIDATION_COUNTRY_FOUND assesses the value of dwc:country for conformance to a sourceAuthority. In this case, the relevant dimension is bdqdim:Conformance.

Unlike Criteria, which apply only to Validation and Issue Tests, Data Quality Dimensions apply to all BDQ Test types: bdqffdq:Validation, bdqffdq:Issue``bdqffdq:Measure, and bdqffdq:Amendment.

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). 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 bdqdim: namespace MUST use the Term IRI (e.g., https://rs.tdwg.org/bdqdim/terms/Completeness) or Term Qualified name (e.g., bdqdim:Completeness). 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., Completeness) SHOULD be used. In a purely human context a label (e.g., Completeness) MAY be used.

Each instance of a Test, regardless of Test type, SHOULD have exactly one bdqffdq:hasdataQualityDimension property relating it to a term in this bdqdim: vocabulary.

2,1 Mapping to DQV Dimension (non-normative)

The W3C Data Quality Vocabulary (DQV) (Albertoni and Isaac, 2016; Albertoni and Isacc 2020) provides a metadata model for describing data quality information in RDF. The W3C Data Quality Vocabulary defines (mostly by reuse) a set of data quality dimensions. The dqv:Dimension class is defined, in part, as "Represents criteria relevant for assessing quality". This concept is similar to (skos:broader than) bdqffdq:DataQualityDimension.

A potential mapping of the bdqdim: terms to DQV dimensions is as follows:

3 Term index (non-normative)

3.1 Index By Term Name (non-normative)

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

Vocabulary

bdqdim:Completeness | bdqdim:Conformance | bdqdim:Consistency | bdqdim:Likeliness | bdqdim:Reliability | bdqdim:Resolution

3.2 Index By Label (non-normative)

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

Completeness | Conformance | Consistency | Likeliness | Reliability | Resolution

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 Dimension Controlled Vocabulary List of Terms. Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG). https://rs.tdwg.org/bdqdim/terms/2026-06-03

Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG)

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