DDI Cross Domain Integration (DDI-CDI) – An introduction to the draft specification

The DDI Cross Domain Integration (DDI-CDI) is a new product within the DDI family of specifications to be released in 2021. Unlike earlier DDI metadata specifications, DDI-CDI is intended to be used in combination with DDI-Codebook and DDI-Lifecycle, as well as potentially stand-alone.

This tutorial shows you how DDI-CDI can be used to document a broader range of data structures than earlier specifications: traditional rectangular files, long/event data files, multi-dimensional data cubes, and key-value (“big”) data. It also covers the description of transformations between these types and describing the details of data integration. Examples of provenance and process documentation will also be covered.

This tutorial introduces you to the main aspects of DDI-CDI using real life examples, covering topics related to data description, variable structures and harmonization, and process and provenance description.