How do we define standards?

Standard

A set of agreed-upon and documented guidelines, specifications, accepted practices, technical requirements, or terminologies for diverse fields. They can be mandatory or voluntary and are distinct from acts, regulations, and codes, although standards can be referenced in those legal instruments.

Statistical standard

A standard about all aspects of statistical production, either processes/capabilities or the data/metadata they use.

Statistical data standard

A statistical standard about how data are managed, organized, represented, or formatted. It enables consistent and repeatable description (e.g., definitions), representation (e.g., permitted values, format), structuring (e.g., logical model), and sharing (e.g., exchange model) of data.

Statistical metadata standard

A statistical standard about how metadata are managed, organized, represented or formatted. This includes information about processes (designs and plans of statistical programs and each step in the statistical process), capabilities to produce statistics, data, and metadata itself, the meaning of data and the terms used in relation to data and its structure. It enables consistent and repeatable description (e.g., definitions), representation (e.g., permitted values, format), structuring (e.g., logical model), and sharing (e.g., exchange model) of metadata.