Indicator (metadata)

In metadata, an indicator is a Boolean value that may contain only the values true or false. The definition of an Indicator must include the meaning of a true value and should also include the meaning if the value is false.

If a data element may take another value to represent e.g. unknown or not applicable, then a Code should be used instead of an Indicator, and the meanings of all possible values should be clearly defined.

The suffix Indicator is used in ISO/IEC 11179 metadata registry standard as a representation term.

Example of Use of Indicator in XML

An example use of the Indicator suffix is if an XML document was required to contain the passing status of a Student in a statewide assessment. The data element would be:

<StudentPassedAssessmentIndicator>true</StudentPassedAssessmentIndicator>

Standards that use the indicator representation term

The following metadata registry standards use the term indicator

• ebXML
• NIEM
• GJXDM

See also

• Metadata
• ISO/IEC 11179
• Representation term
• Code

References

https://web.archive.org/web/20110927233605/https://www.niem.gov/documentsdb/Documents/Technical/NIEM-NDR-1-3.pdf page 65