Description of the tables (entities), fields (attributes), permissible values (domains), and
related characteristics encoded in the data set.
Guidance
It is recommended that users document attribute information for their
data sets where applicable. This may be done using either the
detailed description (this element) or the overview description, or
both. The use of the detailed description or overview sections is
dependent on the needs of the individual user. In general, the
overview section provides a means for describing attribute
information in free text and linking to an online data dictionary,
whereas the detailed section provides a means for describing each
attribute individually using a standard format that includes the
attribute name, description, and domain.
