University IT

How is the Business Glossary helpful?

The Business Glossary increases confidence in the meaning of data by standardizing terms and definitions. It also shows where terms are used and shows which data collections contain data corresponding to the term and definition.

What can I do with the Business Glossary?

• Learn about data without the trouble of requesting access to it.
• Align your reports or other data products with other University data products.
• Quickly orient your staff to your data environment.
• Assist people who use your data in correctly interpreting your data.

Who provides the terms and definitions for the Business Glossary?

A steward creates and approves terms and definitions based on the steward’s expert knowledge of the data and contributions from the community.

What is Data Cookbook and features does it offer?

Data Cookbook is the online service the University has selected to contain its business glossary and its catalog data specifications. Data Cookbook allows you to:

• Search or browse terms. See relationships among terms.
• Communicate with the term moderator (steward).
• In the Specifications catalog, view a description and list of terms for reports, data feeds, distribution lists and other data objects.
• Reuse specifications to improve consistent reporting across the University.
• Learn about data without having to request access first.

What is a data domain?

A data domain is a subject area describing a subset of University operations.  Domains can be broad (student, clinical finance, sponsored projects) or narrow (faculty).

What is included in a Specification in Data Cookbook?

A specification offers a list of terms corresponding to data within a report, data feed, distribution list, or other type of data object. It also includes the purpose and description of the specification, a visual layout description, data collection(s) that provide data for a specification. It is presented in the format of a report (Excel, Tableau dashboard, etc) and contains no actual data.

How can I add terms to the Business Glossary?

Contact the architecture team to get started. An account will be created for you and then you can begin adding terms or report designs. You can supply your own content or approve material written for you by an information architect — the content development process is flexible to meet your workflow and time constraints.

I found a specification or report design that I like. How can I get actual data?

Check technical definitions for terms associated with the specification to see which data collection contains the corresponding data.

For data collections within the University Data Warehouse, apply for access.

For other collections, contact the owner who controls access. To identify an owner in Data Cookbook: select the blue Organization tab and navigate to Data Systems. Select the data system you need and scroll to the end of the description to find the owner’s name.

Does the Business Glossary contain terms for research data?

Research data (like protein sequences or a textual analysis of Shakespeare) are outside the scope of a business glossary. However, data that quantifies or measures research activities is considered institutional data and is within the scope of the glossary (Data Cookbook). Learn more about research data initiatives at the University, including big data.

Can I trust the content within Data Cookbook?

Terms and definitions are written and approved by stewards who are selected by the communities within their respective domains. Authoritative stewardship increases consistency and correct assumptions about institutional data. Data Cookbook is open to the University community, making agreement and dissent transparent.

Specifications are written and approved by report writers or other data experts.

How do I get started using Data Cookbook for my reporting needs?

Identify the reports that you want to catalog. Systematically create specifications for your most popular reports.

How do I link from the report specification in Data Cookbook to the report that actually contains the data?

This can be done for enterprise systems like Cognos or for Excel files linked to a URL. Embed the URL in the Access field in the Overview tab.

When people request data from me, how can I direct them to the Data Cookbook?

Include the URL for the Specification every time you share your data object. Embed the URL in the body of an email message. Link to the Specification in a website serving as a catalog of your reports.