Leadership Guide for Strategic Information Management for State Departments of Transportation (2016)

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84 Glossary Sources In developing this glossary, the authors have drawn verbatim wherever possible from other authoritative sources. In some instances, minor wording changes have been made to enhance clarity and precision. The following sources are cited as appropriate: • AIIM—Association for Information and Image Management Glossary: http://www.aiim.org/ community/wiki/view/glossary • ANSI/NISO Z39.19—Guidelines for the Construction, Format, and Management of Mono- lingual Controlled Vocabularies (2005) ISBN: 1-880124-65-3 is p. 157–167: http://www.niso. org/apps/group_public/download.php/12591/z39-19-2005r2010.pdf • DAMA—Data Management Association Dictionary of Data Management: http://www.dama. org/content/body-knowledge • IRMT—International Records Management Trust (IRMT) Glossary of Terms: http://www. irmt.org/documents/educ_training/term%20modules/IRMT%20TERM%20Glossary%20 of%20Terms.pdf • OMB Circular A-130: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_a130_a130trans4/ • SAA—Society of American Archivists Glossary: http://www2.archivists.org/glossary • W3C—W3C Data Catalog Vocabulary: http://www.w3.org/TR/vocab-dcat/#class--dataset Where no reference is noted, definitions were developed by the authors, based on a review of multiple existing sources. A number of other professionals were invited to suggest terms that should be included and to review the definitions, including members of NCHRP project panels and standing committees of TRB. However, responsibility for these definitions and any errors they may contain remains with the authors. Terms Analytics. Techniques for transforming data into information to provide insights into current conditions and/or likely implications of potential future actions. Best Bets. Manually created lists of content objects to be returned in response to common search queries in order to improve search results. Big Data Analytics. Methods for processing and deriving information from data streams that are too large, dynamic, and/or heterogeneous to manage using traditional tools such as spreadsheets or relational databases. Catalog. An organized, searchable, annotated list of content objects in a collection (e.g., the National Transportation Library Catalog).

Glossary 85 Content. Information that has been packaged in a format suitable for retrieval, re-use, and pub- lication. Content includes documents, data sets, web pages, image files, email, social media posts, video files, audio files, and other rich media assets. (Source: Adapted from AIIM) Content Management. The process of establishing policies, systems, and procedures in an orga- nization in order to oversee the systematic creation, organization, access, and use of content. Content Management is a subset of Information Management. (Source: Adapted from IRMT) Content Object. An individual unit of content that may be described for inclusion in an infor- mation retrieval system, website, or other information source. A content object can itself be made up of content objects (e.g., both a website and an individual web page; a journal and an article in the journal). A content object may also include metadata. (Source: adapted from ANSI/ NISO Z39.19) Controlled Vocabulary. A list of terms that have been enumerated explicitly. This list is con- trolled by and available from a controlled vocabulary registration authority (e.g., Library of Congress Subject Headings). (Source: Adapted from ANSI/NISO Z39.19) Data. Representation of observations, concepts, or instructions in a formalized manner suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing by humans or computers (e.g., a crash record, pavement roughness measurements). (Source: adapted from AIIM) Data Architecture. A master set of data models and design approaches identifying the strategic data requirements and the components of data management solutions, usually at an enterprise level. (Source: DAMA) Data Archiving. The process of moving data that are no longer actively used to a separate data storage device for long-term retention. Data Business Plan. A document that establishes data collection and management strategies that align with business objectives. Data Catalog. A listing of available data resources (e.g., data sets, query tools, maps, reports) including descriptive information on what is included and how to access, compiled for the purpose of facilitating discovery and understanding of available data. Data Dictionary. A place where a limited set of “data about the data” or metadata are stored. It may include technical metadata including column names and formats and/or business metadata such as data definitions, business rules, and code values. (Source: Adapted from DAMA) Data Entities. A classification of the types of objects found in the real world—persons, places, things, concepts, and events—of interest to the enterprise. (Source: DAMA) Data Management. A subset of information management that is concerned with management of structured data. Data Quality. The degree to which data are accurate, complete, timely, and consistent with requirements and business rules and relevant for a given use. (Source: Adapted from DAMA). Data Quality Assurance. Processes to ensure that data meet specified requirements. Data Quality Control. Processes to detect defects in collected data and take appropriate action. Data Set. A collection of data made available for access or download in one or more formats (e.g., a state’s crash records for a single year, a database with roughness measures for pavement segments on the state highway system). (Source: adapted from W3C) Data Steward(s). People who are accountable for the quality, value, and appropriate use of data.

86 Leadership Guide for Strategic Information Management for State Departments of Transportation Data Stewardship. The formal, specifically assigned and entrusted accountability for business (non-technical) responsibilities ensuring effective control and use of data and information assets. Data Visualization. Techniques for graphical representation of trends, patterns, and other infor- mation. (Source: Adapted from DAMA) Data Warehouse. An integrated, centralized, decision support database and related software programs that can be used to collect, cleanse, transform, and store data from a variety of sources to support business needs. (Source: Adapted from DAMA) Digital Curation. Selection, preservation, maintenance, collection, and archiving of digital content objects. Digital Repository. An electronic information system in which digital content objects are stored, managed, and made available for retrieval. Document. Recorded data or information fixed in any media, which can be treated as a self- contained unit. May consist of one or more content objects (e.g., a strategic highway safety plan, a DOT transportation asset management plan). (Source: adapted from AIIM and SAA) Document Management. Techniques that ensure that documents are properly distributed, used, stored, retrieved, protected, and preserved according to established policies and procedures. Docu- ment management systems typically include capabilities for storage, retrieval, check-in/check-out, version control, and maintenance of audit trails for changes made. Document management is a subset of content management and is typically concerned with management of stand-alone docu- ments (e.g., reports, presentations, and spreadsheets) rather than more atomic content objects such as images, social media posts, links, or web pages. (Source: Adapted from SAA) Electronic Discovery (or e-Discovery). A process in which electronic data are sought, located, secured, and searched with the intent of being used as evidence in a civil or criminal legal case. Enterprise Data Architecture. An integrated collection of models and design approaches to align information, data, processes, projects, data systems/applications, and technology with the goals of the agency. (Source: Adapted from DAMA) Enterprise Search. The practice of identifying and enabling specific content across the enter- prise to be indexed, searched, and displayed to authorized users. (Source: AIIM) Faceted Classification. A system for organizing content into categories based on a systematic combination of mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive characteristics of the materials (facets) and displaying the characteristics in a manner that shows their relationships. (Source: Adapted from SAA) Faceted Navigation. Technique for accessing content based on a faceted classification system. Faceted navigation is commonly used for e-commerce web sites. Federated Search. Simultaneous search of multiple online databases. (Source: AIIM) Findability. The degree to which relevant information is easy to find when needed; findability is improved through application of metadata, taxonomies and other organizing tools, and search technologies. (Source: adapted from AIIM) Index. List of the contents of a file, document, or collection of content objects together with keys or references for locating the contents. (Source: Adapted from AIIM) Indexing. A method by which terms or subject headings are selected by a human or computer to represent the concepts in or attributes of a content object. (Source: Adapted from ANSI/ NISO Z39.19)

Glossary 87 Information. Presentation of data to facilitate interpretation or understanding; may include textual, numerical, graphic, cartographic, narrative, or audiovisual forms (e.g., map of high crash locations, trend line showing changes in pavement roughness over time). (Source: adapted from AIIM and OMB Circular A-130) Note: the term “information” is frequently used to refer generally to both raw data and processed or packaged data. Information Classifications. A set of categories used to distinguish key characteristics of a given information resource such as level of sensitivity or degree of importance, used to determine appropriate governance policies. Information Governance. The accountability for the management of an organization’s infor- mation assets in order to achieve its business purposes and compliance with any relevant legisla- tion, regulation, and business practice. Includes data governance, which focuses on governance of structured data. (Source: Adapted from AIIM) Information Life Cycle. The stages through which information passes, typically characterized as creation or collection, processing, dissemination, use, storage, and disposition. (Source: OMB Circular A-130) Information Management. The means by which an organization (e.g., a DOT) efficiently plans, collects, creates, organizes, uses, controls, stores, disseminates, and disposes of information and ensures that the value of that information is understood and fully exploited. Note: Information management encompasses content management, data management, and digital curation but is broader in scope. Information Resource. See content object. Information Resource Management. Principles and techniques to oversee and administer the creation, use, access, and preservation of information in an organization, founded on the belief that information is an asset comparable to financial, human, and physical resources. Similar in concept to information management (included here given use of this term in OMB Circular A-130). (Source: Adapted from SAA) Information Store. See digital repository. Keyword. One of a small set of words used to characterize the contents of a document for use in retrieval systems. May also be referred to as a “tag.” (Source: Adapted from SAA) Master Data. Shared data about the core entities of an enterprise. In a private company, examples of core entities are customers, products, and vendors; in a DOT, examples of core entities are routes, projects, funding sources, and district offices. Metadata. Data describing context, content, and structure of documents and records and the management of such documents and records through time. Literally, data about data. (Source: Adapted from AIIM/ISO 15489) Ontology. A type of controlled vocabulary that describes objects and the relations between them in a formal way, and has a grammar for using the vocabulary terms to express something mean- ingful within a specified domain of interest. For example, an ontology might define a relationship called “is a structural member of” to describe the structural elements of a bridge (e.g., trusses) and distinguish these from non-structural elements (e.g., railings). (Source: Adapted from AIIM) Portal. An entry point, especially a web page, that provides access to information from a variety of sources and that offers a variety of services. (Source: SAA)

88 Leadership Guide for Strategic Information Management for State Departments of Transportation Precision. In the context of information retrieval, precision is a measure of how relevant the returned results are to the user’s query. It is calculated as the fraction of items returned from a search that are relevant to the user’s search query. Recall. In the context of information retrieval, recall is a measure of a search engine’s ability to locate all of the relevant results that are available. It is calculated as the fraction of all relevant items that were returned from a search. Record. Data or information in a fixed form that are created or received in the course of indi- vidual or institutional activity and set aside (preserved) as evidence of that activity for future reference. Records may include paper documents, digital documents, data sets, emails, and other content types. (Source: Adapted from SAA) Records Management. The systematic and administrative control of records throughout their life cycle to ensure efficiency and economy in their creation, use, handling, control, maintenance, and disposition. Similar to document management, but focused on documents that have been designated as official records with an emphasis on legal, regulatory, and risk management con- cerns. (Source: Adapted from SAA) Reference Data. Data used to organize and categorize information, consisting of code tables and other shared lists of values. Search-Based Application. A specialized application developed to support a specific busi- ness process or task that features search as a central component. These applications may bring together information from multiple information repositories. Search Engine. A coordinated set of programs for spidering, indexing, and querying content available on the World Wide Web. The spidering program “crawls” the web and creates a list of available pages, using the hypertext links available on each page. The indexing program creates indices based on the words and phrases included in each content object. The query program accepts a search request and returns a set of matching results from an index, sorted using an algorithm that seeks to present the results that will be most relevant to the user based on factors including match with search term, currency, geographic location, source authority, etc. Search Interface. A user interface that provides a mechanism for users to specify their search query, refine their results set, and navigate to results of interest. Semantic Resources. Synonym rings, taxonomies, thesauri, ontologies, and other resources that can be used for classifying and tagging content. Semi-Structured Data. Non-tabular data that include tags or other structural elements to rep- resent relationships among elements, but do not conform to a predictable model (e.g., XML file, social media post). Sensitive Data. Data that are confidential, privileged, or proprietary that should be protected from unauthorized disclosure, loss, misuse, or corruption in order to avoid serious consequences to the organization owning the data. Spider. A computer program that scans the World Wide Web, following links on each page to identify new sites. Strategic Information Management. Techniques for managing information and information technology to maximize improvements in organizational performance. Structured Data. Data that conform to a predefined data model, typically structured as a series of columns (fields) and rows (records) and stored in relational databases, spreadsheets, or flat files. Taxonomy. A type of controlled vocabulary consisting of categories and sub-categories that is used for classifying information. (Source: Adapted from AIIM)

Glossary 89 Text Analytics. Techniques that utilize software and semantic resources to add structure to text- based content objects (e.g., text files, Word documents, web sites, etc.). The main capabilities of text analytics include text mining, sentiment analysis, entity or noun phrase extraction, auto- summarization, and auto-categorization. Thesaurus. A type of controlled vocabulary consisting of terms linked together by semantic, hierarchical (i.e., parent-child), associative (i.e., related) or equivalence (i.e., synonymous) rela- tionships. Such a tool acts as a guide to allocating classification terms to individual records. (Source: Adapted from ISO/TR 15489-2:2001) Unstructured Data. Data that do not conform to any predefined organization, sequence, or type (e.g., text, video, sound, images). Web Content Management. Processes and tools for creating, updating, and maintaining web site content including text, images, links, and forms. A Note on Information, Data, Content, and Records Management The word management appears in a number of the terms in the above glossary. The scopes of these several management activities often overlap. Information management is used in this guide as the highest level umbrella term. It encompasses content, data, and records management. Whether data—structured or unstructured—are viewed as records, content, or a distinct form of information is often determined by institutional history, professional practice, or usage custom. Each of these management activities may entail procedures and protocols considered unique to that particular activity as practiced in a particular setting. Because content encompasses a variety of media, content management entails a very broad range of practices associated with information that has been packaged for retrieval, re-use, and publica- tion. Current usage distinguishes web content management from document management, because of the technologies involved and relationships among communities of professional practice. Information Management Content Management Data Management Records Management Content Management Document Management Web Content Management