No book on definitions has been been published since Richard Robinson's "Definitions" in 1950, and none have ever been oriented to information. Indeed, very little has ever been published anywhere on the role of definitions in information management. Yet everyone agrees that definitions, that meaning, is an essential component of information management. In a new book, Malcolm Chisholm explores the special needs of definitions for information. Practical guidance is provided and both the subject-centric and data-centic aspects of definitions for data are examined.
Definitions are important enough in ordinary life but in information management they are vital. Data —the raw material of information management — can only be used if it is understood, and it can only be understood if it has adequate definitions. Today, with increasing demand for information integration, and high profile projects such as the Semantic Web, the quality of definitions is more important than ever. This book provides a background on the theory of definitions, the different approaches for formulating definitions, and rules for achieving high-quality definitions. It focuses on both the subject-centric aspects and data-centric aspects of data definitions. Governance of definitions and the metadata that is required to manage definitions is also covered. For too long the emphasis in information management has been on tools that serve merely as containers for storing and exchanging definitions, rather than on the content of the definitions themselves. This book seeks to redress this imbalance.
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What People are Saying...
"What we need before we can develop systems, is a set of clear cut definitions of each data element. In fact, data modeling is the art of defining data elements. Data modeling is all about definitions. So I am happy to see that we finally have an excellent book on definitions for data modelers and data managers. This book is very much needed." (, R20/Consultancy B.V)
"The movement towards semantic web technologies is unstoppable. With this book, Dr. Chisholm has given us a superb reference to help us better achieve an understanding of what exactly our data represents in various business contexts, and how its business intelligence can be improved through rock-solid definitions and taxonomies." (, Senior Contributing Editor, Dashboard Insight Magazine)
"Dr. Chisholm's book is an important work and should be required reading for all senior executives, regulators and market authorities. It arrives at a seminal moment in our industry and must not be overlooked. Establishing a common understanding of financial instruments, including the nuances of their underlying contractual structure, is the very foundation of systemic oversight, business process automation, and analytical modeling." (, Managing Director, Enterprise Data Management Council)
"For too long lip service has been paid to the importance of definitions, while in reality they have been mostly ignored. At last we have a book that provides a practical and comprehensive approach to creating and maintaining them. This book is a must for all data professionals." (, President and Co-founder, Metadata Professional Organization)