<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>Dear DDI community,<input name="virtru-metadata" type="hidden" value="{"email-policy":{"state":"closed","expirationUnit":"days","disableCopyPaste":false,"disablePrint":false,"disableForwarding":false,"enableNoauth":false,"persistentProtection":false,"expandedWatermarking":false,"expires":false,"isManaged":false},"attachments":{},"compose-id":"27","compose-window":{"secure":false}}"></div><div><br></div><div>Earlier this month, DDI members voted on the Structured Data Transformation Language (SDTL). Nineteen of the 28 eligible voting designated member representatives voted, with all responding “YES, the validity and usefulness of Version 1.0 of SDTL has been demonstrated and it should now be accepted as a part of the DDI standard.”
The vote passed with a two-thirds majority. </div><div><div><br></div><div>SDTL is an independent language for representing data transformation commands in statistical analysis packages, such as SPSS, Stata, SAS, R, and Python. Commands like RECODE, MERGE FILES, and VARIABLE LABELS are rendered in a structured format (JSON, XML, RDF) that is easy for machines to read and process. Command scripts translated into SDTL produce variable-level data transformation histories, which can be translated into natural language. SDTL can be added to Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) and other metadata standards for use in data catalogs, codebooks, and other documentation. SDTL was developed by the
<a href="https://c2metadata.org/">Continuous Capture of Metadata for Statistical Data (C2Metadata) Project</a>, which was funded by National Science
Foundation grant ACI-1640575.<br></div></div><div><br></div><div>As a next step, the DDI Technical Committee will incorporate corrections noted in the Public Review and prepare the specification for publication. <br></div><div><br></div><div>Thanks to everyone who contributed to the development of SDTL, especially George Alter (Principal Investigator of the C2Metadata Project), the C2Metadata Project members, the <a href="https://ddi-alliance.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DDI4/pages/899547182/SDTL+-+Structured+Data+Transformation+Language">DDI SDTL working group</a>, and the DDI Technical Committee.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote" style=""><div dir="ltr"><div><div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Jared Lyle</span><br></div></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="DE-CH"><font color="#000000">Executive Director, <a href="https://ddialliance.org/" target="_blank"><span id="m_-5173054113499140777gmail-m_3909072039795705896gmail-m_4762175954782216410m_-7173036272154285788gmail-m_4733858839372711956gmail-m_-3387988494985437205:fmz.5">DDI</span> Alliance</a><br><a href="https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/" target="_blank"><span id="m_-5173054113499140777gmail-m_3909072039795705896gmail-m_4762175954782216410m_-7173036272154285788gmail-m_4733858839372711956gmail-m_-3387988494985437205:fmz.6">ICPSR</span></a>, University of Michigan<br><a href="mailto:lyle@umich.edu" target="_blank"><span id="m_-5173054113499140777gmail-m_3909072039795705896gmail-m_4762175954782216410m_-7173036272154285788gmail-m_4733858839372711956gmail-m_-3387988494985437205:fmz.7">lyle</span>@<span id="m_-5173054113499140777gmail-m_3909072039795705896gmail-m_4762175954782216410m_-7173036272154285788gmail-m_4733858839372711956gmail-m_-3387988494985437205:fmz.8">umich</span>.<span id="m_-5173054113499140777gmail-m_3909072039795705896gmail-m_4762175954782216410m_-7173036272154285788gmail-m_4733858839372711956gmail-m_-3387988494985437205:fmz.9">edu</span></a></font><br></span></p><div><font color="#999999"><br></font></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="DE-CH"></span></p><div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><font color="#000000" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><i>Follow the <span id="m_-5173054113499140777gmail-m_3909072039795705896gmail-m_4762175954782216410m_-7173036272154285788gmail-m_4733858839372711956gmail-m_-3387988494985437205:fmz.10">DDI</span> Alliance on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/ddialliance" target="_blank">Twitter</a></i></font></div></div></div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><div><img src="cid:ii_175dcd9cba9e15954231" alt="DDI-tagline2.png" width="202" height="72"><br></div></div></div>
</div></div></div></div><div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, Oct 30, 2020 at 12:43 AM Jared Lyle <<a href="mailto:lyle@umich.edu">lyle@umich.edu</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Dear DDI Alliance community,<br><br>We are ready to vote on Version 1.0 of SDTL (Structured Data Transformation Language) for publication. Next week, Designated Member Representatives will receive a link to cast their votes. It is important to vote; a two-thirds majority is required for approval. <br><br>SDTL is a new product for DDI and we are asking you to approve its inclusion in the product line of the DDI Alliance. Over the past year this product has provided the Technical Committee with:<br><ul><li>Statement of content and functionality</li><li>Information on the business case for the product</li><li>Objectives for the product</li><li>Position within the suite of products supported by the DDI Alliance</li><li>A maintenance plan for the product</li></ul>The public review was completed between July 1 through August 31, 2020. All issues have been addressed and the product prepared for the final vote on publication.<br><br>To assist you in evaluating this product for inclusion in the suite of DDI products a webinar will be presented on <br><br>Monday, November 2, 2020 at 10:00 Eastern Time (16:00 European Time)<br>To join the Webinar:<br><a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82041378650" target="_blank">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82041378650</a><br><br>Meeting ID: 820 4137 8650<br>Find your local number: <a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kEZvDttN" target="_blank">https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kEZvDttN</a><br><br>The following content should also be informative:<br><ul><li>SDTL User Guide: <a href="http://c2metadata.gitlab.io/sdtl-docs/master/" target="_blank">http://c2metadata.gitlab.io/sdtl-docs/master/</a></li><li>Introduction to SDTL: <a href="https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/156015" target="_blank">https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/156015</a></li><li>Overview of the C2Metadata Project: <a href="https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/156014" target="_blank">https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/156014</a></li><li>SDTL Working Group: <a href="https://ddi-alliance.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DDI4/pages/899547182/SDTL+-+Structured+Data+Transformation+Language" target="_blank">https://ddi-alliance.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DDI4/pages/899547182/SDTL+-+Structured+Data+Transformation+Language</a></li></ul>SDTL is an independent language for representing data transformation commands in statistical analysis packages, such as SPSS, Stata, SAS, R, and Python. Commands like RECODE, MERGE FILES, and VARIABLE LABELS are rendered in a structured format (JSON, XML, RDF) that is easy for machines to read and process. Command scripts translated into SDTL produce variable-level data transformation histories, which can be translated into natural language. SDTL can be added to Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) and other metadata standards for use in data catalogs, codebooks, and other documentation. <br><br>We wish to thank George Alter and the SDTL Working Group, as well as the Technical Committee, for the preparation of the SDTL product for publication.<br><div><br></div><div><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><br></div></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="DE-CH"><font color="#000000">Jared Lyle<br>Executive Director, <a href="https://ddialliance.org/" target="_blank"><span id="gmail-m_-7207150483846057078m_-955282735783002561gmail-m_3909072039795705896gmail-m_4762175954782216410m_-7173036272154285788gmail-m_4733858839372711956gmail-m_-3387988494985437205:fmz.5">DDI</span> Alliance</a><br><a href="https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/" target="_blank"><span id="gmail-m_-7207150483846057078m_-955282735783002561gmail-m_3909072039795705896gmail-m_4762175954782216410m_-7173036272154285788gmail-m_4733858839372711956gmail-m_-3387988494985437205:fmz.6">ICPSR</span></a>, University of Michigan<br><a href="mailto:lyle@umich.edu" target="_blank"><span id="gmail-m_-7207150483846057078m_-955282735783002561gmail-m_3909072039795705896gmail-m_4762175954782216410m_-7173036272154285788gmail-m_4733858839372711956gmail-m_-3387988494985437205:fmz.7">lyle</span>@<span id="gmail-m_-7207150483846057078m_-955282735783002561gmail-m_3909072039795705896gmail-m_4762175954782216410m_-7173036272154285788gmail-m_4733858839372711956gmail-m_-3387988494985437205:fmz.8">umich</span>.<span id="gmail-m_-7207150483846057078m_-955282735783002561gmail-m_3909072039795705896gmail-m_4762175954782216410m_-7173036272154285788gmail-m_4733858839372711956gmail-m_-3387988494985437205:fmz.9">edu</span></a></font><br></span></p><div><font color="#999999"><br></font></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="DE-CH"></span></p><div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><font color="#000000" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><i>Follow the <span id="gmail-m_-7207150483846057078m_-955282735783002561gmail-m_3909072039795705896gmail-m_4762175954782216410m_-7173036272154285788gmail-m_4733858839372711956gmail-m_-3387988494985437205:fmz.10">DDI</span> Alliance on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/ddialliance" target="_blank">Twitter</a></i></font></div></div></div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><div><img src="cid:ii_17577c74d12e15954231" alt="DDI-tagline2.png" width="202" height="72"><br></div></div></div>
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