National Information Exchange Model
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The National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) is an XML-based metadata registry being adopted by U.S. federal agencies for the precise exchange of information.
NIEM is based on a precisely defined data dictionary that uses ISO/IEC 11179 metadata registry standards.
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[edit] NIEM vision
The vision of the NIEM is that it will become a centralized metadata registry for federal, state and local agencies that wish to exchange data. The NIEM does not attempt to dictate that a specific data element be used in an agency-to-agency transaction. And is not a standard or standards body. Rather it tries to serve as a central location that data element semantics can be linked.
[edit] Structure of the NIEM
The NIEM is based on a sub-class hierarchy that used Activity-Organization-Person and related structures as an upper ontology. Each data element in the NIEM ontology is classified as either a class-type or a property-type.
[edit] NIEM classification schemes
Almost all NIEM data element properties have a representation term associated with them. For example all Boolean (true/false) data elements end with the suffix 'indicator'.
All NIEM data elements are classified according to following categories:
- universal a data element that is very common in the exchange of national data. Examples of universal data elements include Activity, Contact, Organization, Person and Vehicle.
- core data elements that are frequently shared between agencies but are not as frequently shared as universal data elements. For example an Airplane.
- domain specific domain specific data elements are classes are properties that may be used frequently in one or more branchs of government but are not as commonly used as core data elements.
The NIEM is an outgrowth of the U.S. Department of Justice's Global Justice XML Data Model (GJXDM) project. The NIEM is now being expanded to include other federal agencies such as the Department of Health and the Department of Education.
[edit] NIEM Status
The NIEM has completed beta testing and is now in production release status.
Release history:
NIEM 1.0 production release – November 1, 2006
NIEM 1.0 release candidate 1 – September 30, 2006
NIEM 1.0 beta 3 – September 11, 2006
NIEM 1.0 beta 2 – August 8, 2006
NIEM 1.0 beta 1 – June 30, 2006
NIEM 0.3 – April 12, 2006
NIEM 0.2.1 – February 24, 2006
NIEM 0.2 – December 23, 2005
NIEM 0.1 – October 11, 2005
