Domain Management: Recommended Practices

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• Use domains that are already developed in your subject area
• Use domains that are available and supported by an authoritative source
• If you create your own domain, document how items are distinguished from each other, and give each value a definition/description
• Include listings of domain table contents in your metadata or associated documentation, with a citation to the source
• Keywords are a type of domain for use in different contexts

Examples of Domains:
Generic Examples: 7 Examples of Reference Data

Domain Management: Examples of Classification Domains

• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) - taxonomic names
• Geographic Names Information System - GNIS - place names
• Hydrologic Unit Maps - Hydrologic Unit codes and maps representing a national system of nested watersheds
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Codes - maintained by the US Census Bureau, numerous codes for classification of geopolitical units and societal parameters
• ChemSpider - Chemical names and structures

Domain Management: Examples of Descriptive Domains

• Pebble Count at West Virginia DEP - 'Wolman pebble count' categories for particle size distribution
• Cloud Atlas - cloud families and appearance
• Geomorphic classification of rivers, U.S. Forest Service
• The Geomorphic Units survey and classification System (GUS) - REFORM protocol for river longitudinal surveys
• NIST Guide to the use of the International System of Units - Unit terms are more complicated than you may think