About this site 한국어

Unofficial explanatory translation of the Korean AI-Ready Data (AIRD) draft standard. The Korean text prevails.

Preparing data › Procedure

Writing the manifest (stage 1)

Type · ProcedureReading time · about 7 minData providers

ContentsContents
  1. Stage 1 checklist — 23 metadata elements (demo profile)
  2. Stage overview
  3. Elements to check
  4. Writing the column schema
  5. Choosing file formats
  6. Examples and common errors

In stage 1 you fill in the 23 discovery-layer metadata elements and the column schema to create the manifest manifest.json (JSON-LD). The manifest is the basis on which the data reaches the Discoverable state.

Stage 1 workflow

Stage 1 checklist — 23 metadata elements (demo profile)

0 / 23 filled

Dataset

Distribution (per file)

Checkbox states are saved only in this browser. Source: AIRD vocabulary v0.10.5 demo profile.

Stage overview

The goal of stage 1 is to record, in machine-readable form, what the data is and where it is. The data provider can complete stage 1 using the guidance in the current version alone. For persistent identifiers, use the interim rules in Choosing persistent identifiers.

TaskOutput
Convert proprietary formats to open formatsOpen-format files (e.g., CSV · JSON)
Fill in metadata elementsManifest manifest.json — JSON-LD, discovery layer
Record the meaning of each columnColumn schema (csvw:tableSchema) — included in the manifest

A full manifest example is in Manifest example, and the structure of the pack that contains the manifest is in Packaging and distribution. A new manifest is published for each version and points to the previous version.

Stage 1 does not change data values. The data provider keeps the content of the data and adds descriptions. [Part 1 5.2]

Who does what

The data provider aloneThe diagnostic toolThe organization decides
Filling in metadata elements · writing the column schema · converting to open formats · writing the manifest · calculating checksums (sha256sum)Calculating checksums · generating a manifest draftPersistent identifier issuance policy · license and rights · disclosure scope of personal information

The data provider can calculate checksums directly: run sha256sum <file> on Linux or shasum -a 256 <file> on macOS. The diagnostic tool also calculates checksums from the files. The data provider can write the manifest directly or revise a draft generated by the diagnostic tool.

At decision gate ①, the data provider and the diagnostic tool check whether the required metadata elements are met. [Part 4 6.4]follow-on part Elements not met are completed and checked again.

Judgments stage 1 supports

The work in stage 1 supports finding data, accessing it, and checking the conditions of use. The identifier lets other resources refer to the data. Column descriptions convey the meaning of values. The rights statement is the basis for judging whether the data may be used. The data provider can complete stage 1 without knowing the FAIR principles.

Elements to check

There are 23 metadata elements (19 for the dataset + 4 for each distribution). This site uses the 23 elements of the AIRD vocabulary v0.10.5 demo profile. The deliberation draft requires 19 (15 for the dataset + 4 for each distribution). The demo profile adds 4: dataset structure type, theme, landing page, and maintaining department. Theme and landing page are required for public-sector data and recommended otherwise. [Part 3 Annex A.1]

The 4 distribution elements apply to each distributed file. With 3 files there are 19 + 4 × 3 = 31 values. The full list and judgment criteria are in Metadata elements.

The 6 elements most often missing or recorded incorrectly are:

ElementLevelCriterionCommon problem
Persistent identifierRequiredA permanent identifying value that does not change. A resolvable URI is the principle. Distinct from the access URLUsing an internal organization number as is
KeywordRequired3 or moreOnly 1–2 recorded
Update frequencyRequiredRecorded as a URI from the standard listFree text such as “quarterly” or “as needed”
LicenseRequiredChoose from the 14 values of vocabulary kr-license (e.g., KOGL-0~4 · KOGL-AI · CC). How to record a license not on the list is under review“Yes / No” or a long sentence
Media typeRequiredIANA notation such as text/csv“Text” · “Image”
ChecksumRequiredA SHA-256 value for each distributionMissing

The persistent identifier and the access URL are different. The persistent identifier identifies the dataset. The access URL is where the actual data is accessed. The data provider does not fill both elements with the same value. If the organization has no identifier issuance policy, apply the interim rules in Choosing persistent identifiers.

If there are several files, create several distributions. When tables, images, and videos are provided together, record the access URL, media type, file format, and checksum separately for each distribution.

A column schema is required for tabular data. The column schema is either written directly into the manifest or kept as a separate document that the manifest points to by address and hash. How to write it is in the “Writing the column schema” section, and the judgment criteria are in Metadata elements.

Writing the column schema

The column schema (csvw:tableSchema) is a table that records the name, data type, and meaning of each column. Without a column schema, the meaning of data values is hard to determine.

Why it is needed

Column descriptions in the source database can be lost when the data is exported to CSV. If only the column names remain, the meaning of a name like mkt_nm is hard to determine. Stage 2 quality measurement also uses the column schema as input.

Elements per column

Elements per column — expand the 11-row table
ElementLevelExampleStage 2 indicator that needs this element
Name (column name)Requiredbizr_no—
Data typeRequiredString—
DescriptionRequiredBusiness registration number issued by the National Tax Service. No hyphens—
Required flagRequiredRequired (value must not be empty)D1-01 (Required field completeness)
Value rangeRecommendedemployeeCount from 0 to 100000D5-02 (Numeric range validity)
Inter-field relationshipRecommendedExample If the closure flag is 1, a closure date existsD2-01 (Inter-field consistency)
Derivation ruleRecommendedExample Total = number of men + number of womenD2-03 (Derived value accuracy)
Code list and its editionRecommendedKorean Standard Industrial Classification (revision stated) · code value meanings 01=operating, 02=suspended, 03=closedD2-02 (Referential integrity)
Display nameRecommendedBusiness registration number—
UnitRecommendedKRW · ㎡ · ℃—
Empty value notationRecommendedBlank—

Recommended elements are inputs to stage 2 measurement. If the column schema lacks the required flag, value range, inter-field relationships, derivation rules, or code list and its edition, the diagnostic tool cannot measure D1-01 · D5-02 · D2-01 · D2-03 · D2-02 in stage 2. Indicators that could not be measured are recorded in the diagnostic report together with the reason they were not measured (Reading the diagnostic report (stage 2)).

Empty value notation is not a requirement of the standard, but it often causes problems in practice. If blanks, -, N/A, and 0 are mixed, you cannot tell whether 0 is a real value or an empty one.

Choosing file formats Recommended

SituationRecommendedReason
TabularCSV (UTF-8)Readable by general-purpose tools
Tabular · large volumeParquet in additionFaster download and processing
Data with a hierarchical structureJSONFlattening into a table loses hierarchical relationships
Geographic informationGeoJSONIncludes the coordinate reference system
DocumentsOriginal format + extracted textThe original alone is not machine-readable
ImagesStandard image formatsProprietary formats cannot be read by general-purpose tools

The reference encoding is UTF-8. How to check the encoding is in Checking your data.

Formats to avoid

  • Providing only formats that open in one specific program
  • Tables with merged cells, subtotal rows, or multi-line headers
  • Files that split several tables across sheets without explanation

Image labels (ground truth), training and validation splits, the correspondence within instruction–response pairs, and document chunking units are not stage 1 requirements. Photos without labels can also become “Discoverable” data.

Examples and common errors

Example

Before

Title: Data
Description: Related data.
Update frequency: as needed
License: Includes third-party rights - N
Media type: text
Column schema: (none)

After

Title: Business registrations in ○○ City, 2025
Description: Industry, location, and business status of businesses registered in ○○ City.
      As of 2025-12-31, 12,480 records.
Keywords: business, permits, industry, ○○ City
Data type: STRUCT
Update frequency: http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/frequency/IRREG
License: KOGL-1  (vocabulary kr-license value)
Rights: KOGL Type 1. Free to use with source attribution. (notice)
Media type: text/csv
Access rights: PUBLIC
Column schema: name, data type, description, required flag, and code values recorded for all 14 columns

Common errors

The three most common errors in stage 1 are listed below.

WrongCorrectedCause of the problem
Free text such as “quarterly” or “as needed” in update frequencyRecorded as a URI from the standard list — “quarterly” as …/frequency/QUARTERLY, “as needed” as …/frequency/IRREGUpdate frequency is chosen from a standard list. Machines cannot interpret free text
“Includes third-party rights: N” recorded in rightsChoose from the license value list (vocabulary kr-license) (e.g., KOGL-1). Record a notice of the permitted scope of use in rightsIt is unclear what is permitted
Manifest copied from other data without correcting the access URLChange the access URL in the copied manifest to this data’s addressThe format is valid but it points to the wrong location. A defect that format checks do not detect

Completion criteria

  • All 23 metadata elements in the “Stage 1 checklist” are filled in.
  • The column schema records the name, data type, description, and required flag for every column.
  • The persistent identifier is decided (Choosing persistent identifiers).

Choosing persistent identifiers

Last updated · 2026-10-07Report an error