Version 3.0 of the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) specification has just been released for public comment.

During these next two months, users can test and evaluate this new version of the DDI to provide feedback and suggestions for changes. The DDI 3 site at http://www.ddialliance.org/ddi3/ now has new tools, including a DDI 2 to 3 converter/viewer, as well as several markup examples that should facilitate assessment and testing of the specification. Please do take a tour of the page if you haven’t already done so and start to learn more.

To open up discussions related to DDI Version 3, you can use one of the new DDI-related forums specifically designed for this purpose — see http://www.opendatafoundation.org/forums/ddi/

The 10th Annual Open Forum for Metadata Registries will take place in New York from July 9-11, 2007. For further information, please visit http://metadataopenforum.org/

Participants will hear a mix of plenaries, case studies, implementation experiences, practical applications, research projects, and advanced development activities. The main theme of the meeting is the value added by using several standards together in applications. Too often, people become adherents to a standard, and start to believe it can solve all the world’s problems. The purpose of the conference is to show that the opposite is true. Using standards for the purpose for which they were designed and using multiple ones in appropriate ways is a more effective approach.

The 11th Annual FedCASIC workshops will take place at US Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington DC from Tuesday March 6 to Thursday March 8, 2007.

The Open Data Foundation will be making a presentation on metadata and tools in the Wednesday afternoon session WP-4 on “Survey Uses of Metadata”. Other speakers for that session include Mary Vardigan from ICPSR who will talk about DDI 3.0 and Julia Lane from NORC.

For further information or registration, please visit:
http://fedcasic.dsd.census.gov
user name: fedcasic
password: fc2007