Policy:Intake Database

Schema Notes

Since a schema will need to be standardized across many governments, it should be as complete as possible in the first definition, since it will be extraordinarily difficult to revise or expand subsequent to adoption.

• The most authoritative name of any entity is the version as presented in its native language and script. Not transliterations. The native version should have a flag set which indicates it as such.

• Suffixes for companies, such as "LLC," "Joint Stock Company," "Corp," and prefixes and suffixes for people, such as "Jr.," "Honorable," "Eng.," "Ph.D" should all be separated from the entity name proper, into separate corporate or individual prefix or suffix fields, and harmonized to the degree possible.

• People names should be separated into parts, and each part should be flagged with an order-of-rendering and a type: "given name," "patronymic," "family name," "anglicization," "nickname," etc.

• The form of a personal name as it appears on a passport issued by the person's native country should have primacy. Other forms of the name should be flagged as aliases.

• The most-commonly-used form of a personal name should be flagged as such.

• All known identifying numbers (corporate registration numbers, passport numbers, driver's license or ID numbers) should be saved, along with start and end dates of validity, date of issuance, name and location of issuing authority, etc.

• Identification-issuing authorities should exist in their own separate table of unique entities, with aliases, most-commonly-used-form, structured place names, start and end date of authority, and hierarchical relationship to parent organizations.