Data and Information Inventory and Attributes - Glossary of Terms and Phrases

Data and Information Inventory and Attributes

Glossary of Terms and Phrases

The following terms are used throughout this document with specific meanings. Terms defined in the IF4IT Enterprise Inventory Management Best Practices document or in discipline-specific Best Practices documents are not duplicated here.


Term	Definition
Data and Information Type	A named, governed class of data or information content — the Noun Type of this inventory. Each type is a distinct category of content the enterprise recognizes, owns, and governs, independent of any specific system, file, or database that contains it. “Customer Profile” and “Contract Document” are types; a specific customer record in Salesforce is an instance of that type.
Structure	The intrinsic structural form of a Data and Information type: Structured (machine-readable with a defined schema), Semi-Structured (self-describing without a rigid schema), or Unstructured (no predefined schema or machine-readable structure). Structure describes the type itself, not the technical asset housing it.
Data Category	The governance category of a Data and Information type, determining its ownership model, quality standards, and lifecycle characteristics. Standard categories: Master Data, Reference Data, Transactional Data, Analytical Data, Operational Data, Unstructured Information, Metadata.
Authoritative Source	The single system or organizational unit designated as the master source of truth for a Data and Information type — the origin from which all other copies are derived or synchronized. An organizational accountability designation, not a physical location.
Source of Truth Store	The specific physical data store (database, object store, file system) that holds the master copy of a Data and Information type. The physical complement to the Authoritative Source, which is an organizational designation. Both are required for complete governance; conflating them is a common and costly data governance mistake.
Data Catalog	A technical metadata management tool that scans, ingests, and organizes metadata from actual data assets — tables, columns, schemas, files, and APIs. Operates at the physical and technical layer. Complements this inventory (which operates at the logical and governance layer) rather than replacing it.
Logical Layer	The governance level at which Data and Information types are defined, owned, classified, and governed, independent of their physical implementation. This inventory operates at the logical layer.
Physical Layer	The technical level at which actual data assets — tables, files, object stores, and databases — are managed. The Data Stores Inventory and enterprise Data Catalog operate at the physical layer.
Data Domain	The business area or functional domain a Data and Information type belongs to: Finance, Customer, Product, Operations, Human Resources, Risk, Regulatory, Technology, and similar. Enables domain-level data governance and ownership assignment.
Sensitivity Classification	The data sensitivity types applicable to a given Data and Information type, referencing the Data Sensitivity Types Inventory. Drives encryption, access control, retention, disposal, and regulatory compliance requirements for the type across all systems that handle it.
Retention Period	The governed duration for which instances of a Data and Information type must be retained. Derived from the most stringent applicable regulatory requirement, litigation hold policy, or business need.
Data Steward	The operational role responsible for day-to-day data quality management, definition maintenance, and lineage tracking for a Data and Information type. Distinct from the Owner, who holds strategic accountability.

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