DDI Metadata - Data Documentation Initiative Standard

DDI Standard

The Data Documentation Initiative (also known as DDI or DDI Metadata) is an international standard for describing surveys, questionnaires, statistical data files, and social sciences study-level information. This information is described as metadata by the standard.

• Open Standard for describing data and surveys
• First published in 1996
• Version 3.2 of the DDI standard was released in 2014

DDI Users

• National Statistical Institutes
• University Research Groups
• Data Archives
• Other Data Producers and Publishers

DDI Examples

Census 2010 in DDI 3 metadata

The 2010 Census is one of the most recognizable research questionnaires in the United States. The US Census is advertised on talk shows, in the media, and is mailed to every current home address. This familiarity makes the 2010 Census a great questionnaire to demonstrate some features of the DDI 3 metadata standard and its Data Collection component.

Read More

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) microdata documented in DDI 3 metadata

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Public-Use Microdata File contains an extract of data fields from the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Supplemental Security Record file. This dataset is used to demonstrate how to document variables and datasets in DDI 3.

Read More