Datummal

Datummal is a proposed concept in information architecture and data modeling describing a self-contained, semantically meaningful data unit. A datummal combines a data value with its type, provenance, and contextual metadata to support modularity, interoperability, and traceability.

Core components typically include the value, a data type or schema, a timestamp or generation time, a source or provenance identifier, quality attributes such as confidence or accuracy, and tags or qualifiers. A datummal may also reference relationships to other datummals via unique identifiers, enabling graph-like linking and richer context.

Purpose and use: datummals are intended to simplify data integration by encapsulating related information into a single unit that can be stored, transmitted, and versioned without depending on external schemas. They support data lineage, provenance tracing, reusability across systems, and flexible querying based on metadata.

Status and adoption: the term is not part of any formal standard and appears mainly in theoretical or experimental discussions and some software design proposals. Implementations are experimental and vary in serialization formats and in the granularity of metadata and linkage mechanisms.

Example: a datummal for a weather observation might include: value 22.5, unit Celsius, timestamp 2025-12-26T10:15Z, sensorId WX-7, location "station 12", and confidence 0.92.

See also: data model, metadata, data lineage, data integration.

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