Before you make any change to the data, record metadata about the original dataset
and its source. This is captured in a shared template — make a copy of it, fill it in,
and submit the completed copy as a PDF alongside the final delivery.
The fields below are grouped exactly as they appear in the template. Fields marked with
an asterisk (*) are optional — some apply only to particular data formats, and the
information isn’t always available — but fill them in whenever you can.
| Field | Description |
|---|
| dataset name | Name of the larger system or collection the dataset belongs to |
| description | Short description of the dataset’s contents |
| theme | Main theme of the data (health, education, economy, etc.) |
| language | Language of the data |
| quantity | Number of subsets available at the source |
| Field | Description |
|---|
category * | Category the subset falls under (related to the data’s theme) |
subset name * | Name of the subset |
identifier * | Identifier of the dataset or series in the original source |
link * | Direct link to the subset or series used |
description * | Description of the selected subset |
criterion * | Criterion used to select the subset (filters, categories, etc.) |
scope * | Scope of the subset (geographic, temporal, or thematic slice) |
| Field | Description |
|---|
| source | Name of the institution that provides the data |
| link | Link to the data portal or repository |
| provenance | Organization responsible for producing the data |
api endpoint * | API endpoint used to obtain the data |
| download date | Date the data was downloaded |
query parameters * | Parameters used in the query or extraction |
license * | Usage license of the data |
citation * | Recommended way to cite the source |
| Field | Description |
|---|
collection method * | How the data was generated (survey, administrative record, etc.) |
collection period * | Period during which the data was collected |
publication date * | Publication date of the dataset |
| temporal resolution | Temporal resolution (annual, monthly, weekly, etc.) |
| temporal interval | Time span covered by the dataset |
| geographic coverage | Overall geographic coverage of the data |
| geographic level | Geographic level of the observations (country, state, municipality, etc.) |
| Field | Description |
|---|
| format | Format of the original file (CSV, XLSX, JSON, etc.) |
| number of rows | Total number of records |
| number of columns | Number of columns |
| file size | Size of the file |
| Field | Description |
|---|
missing data * | How missing values are represented in the dataset |
limitations * | Known limitations of the dataset |
update frequency * | How often the data is updated |
notes * | Any extra notes |
| Field | Description |
|---|
| responsible | Person responsible for submitting the data |
| submission date | Date of submission |
| email | Contact email |
Once your source is documented, move on to
formatting the values.