## Towards a Best Practice of Modeling Unit of Measure and Related Statistical Metadata

_IMF Working Papers, June 1, 2011_

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## Bibliographic details
- Authors: Wilfried Grossmann, Michaela Denk
- Published: June 1, 2011
- Series: IMF Working Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781455271474.001

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### Summary
- Authors: Wilfried Grossmann, Michaela Denk  
- Date: June 1, 2011  
- Core focus: Data and metadata exchange requires a common language for describing structure and content of statistical data and metadata. The SDMX consortium develops content oriented guidelines (COG) recommending harmonized cross-domain concepts and terminology to increase the efficiency of (meta-) data exchange.  
- Central challenge addressed: a recommended code list for the unit of measure.  
- Scope of the paper: Based on examples from SDMX sponsor organizations the paper analyses the diversity of "unit of measure" as used in practice, including potential breakdowns and interdependencies of the respective meta-information that go beyond the current SDMX COG recommendations and possible value domains for the identified components.

### Findings and analysis
- The SDMX COG provides harmonized cross-domain concepts and terminology intended to increase efficiency of (meta-)data exchange.
- Practical use of "unit of measure" displays substantial diversity across SDMX sponsor organizations.
- Important analytical elements identified:
  - potential breakdowns of "unit of measure" meta-information beyond current COG recommendations;
  - interdependencies among components of unit-related metadata;
  - possible value domains for the identified components.
- Subject classification (as provided):
  - Currencies, Economic and financial statistics, Exchange rates, Expenditure, Foreign exchange, Money, Price adjustments, Prices, Public expenditure review
- Keywords (as provided):
  - base value Unit multiplier, code list, Currencies, current price, data dissemination and exchange, data recipient, data warehouse, exchange rate, Exchange rates, Global, information disaggregation, metadata harmonization, multiplier of the ratio, Price adjustments, Public expenditure review, SDMX, unit information, unit multiplier, unit type, WP

### Implications for practice and standards development
- Harmonization priority: Strengthening and extending unit-of-measure code lists and guidance within SDMX to accommodate observed diversity in practice.
- Metadata modeling: Need to model unit information so that breakdowns and interdependencies of meta-components are explicitly captured.
- Value domains: Defining explicit possible value domains for identified components of unit metadata could improve cross-domain interoperability and data exchange efficiency.

*Source: Towards a Best Practice of Modeling Unit of Measure and Related Statistical Metadata (IMF Working Paper No. 2011/152) by Wilfried Grossmann and Michaela Denk, June 1, 2011.*

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## Content in this bundle

- **Appendix 1. Examples by Data Structure**
  - [Appendix 1. Examples by Data Structure (Markdown version)](/-/media/websites/imf/imported-full-text-pdf/external/pubs/ft/wp/2011/_wp11152.pdf.md){rel="alternate" type="text/markdown"}
  - [Appendix 1. Examples by Data Structure (PDF)](/-/media/websites/imf/imported-full-text-pdf/external/pubs/ft/wp/2011/_wp11152.pdf){rel="external" type="application/pdf"}

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2016/12/31/towards-a-best-practice-of-modeling-unit-of-measure-and-related-statistical-metadata-25008_