Data Ontologies for Data-Driven Decision-Making: Development and Use (2026)
Chapter: Glossary
Glossary
Term | Definition |
Agency | An organization that manages assets and data. This includes a state DOT or other transportation agencies. |
Artificial Intelligence | The ability of computers to imitate human intelligence to complete automated tasks. |
Building Information Modeling | Intelligent 3-D models that aid in planning, designing, and building transportation assets, such as bridges and highways. |
Change Management | Strategic planning initiatives used to address the risks and issues that may arise when there are changes in the policies and procedures of an agency. |
Data Analyst | Staff member(s) who use data to develop analyses, visualizations, and models that support data-driven decision-making. |
Data Catalog | A dictionary containing data descriptions, locations, and metadata for data owned by an agency. |
Data Custodian | Staff member(s) responsible for the security and infrastructure of an agencyʼs databases. |
Data Glossaries | A dictionary of terms and concepts used throughout an agency and its data. |
Data Governance | An exercise of shared decision-making (planning and monitoring) over data management. |
Data Lake | A centralized repository for storing large amounts of data in their natural formats (Amazon AWS, n.d.). |
Data Management | The development, execution, and supervision of plans, policies, programs, and practices that enhance the value of data and information. |
Data Ontology | A set of knowledge terms for a specific topic, including vocabulary, semantic interconnections, and some simple rules of inference and logic. |
Data Owner | Staff member(s) who dictates the access and use of a given set of data. A data owner is often the primary point of contact when data users request access to a database. |
Data Representation | The method in which data are presented. This can include charts, images, statistics, models, and more. |
Data Steward | Staff member(s) who helps to define, implement, and enforce data management policies and procedures within their specific data domain. |
Data User | Anyone within or outside an agency who uses the agencyʼs data. |
Data Warehouse | A centralized repository for storing large amounts of data in a structured format. |
Digital Delivery | The process of delivering a product in a digital format. In transportation, this is frequently a digital 3-D model of an asset or project. |
Executive Leadership | Staff members at an agency who make the final decisions on investments, programs, and policies. |
Information Systems | A collection of tools, applications, databases, and platforms used to store, analyze, and manipulate an agencyʼs data and make up the technological infrastructure of an agency. |
Investments | Allocation of agency funding to projects, programs, organizational changes, and infrastructure. |
Knowledge Management | A strategic approach to collecting critical agency information and developing documentation and accessible resources that provide staff with the necessary knowledge of practices and standards. |
Legacy Systems | Platforms and applications within an agency that are technologically outdated but may house important agency information. |
Metadata | Data that describe other data in terms of the source, location, time of collection, and more. |
Mid-level Managers | Staff members at an agency who oversee operational-level staff and are responsible for ensuring programs are completed effectively and efficiently. |
Modern Systems | Systems within an agency that use the most modern technology. |
Operational-Level Staff | Staff members at an agency who work at the technical level to complete specific tasks and projects. |
Organizational Data | A collection of structured and unstructured information owned by an agency. These data can include documentation, images, videos, spreadsheets, and more. |
Performance-Based Management | Strategic approach for managing transportation assets that uses asset performance as the driver for decision-making. |
Stakeholder | A person or group directly or indirectly involved or affected by a project or data type. |
Subject-Matter Expert | Staff members at any level with specific knowledge of the domain of a task or project. |
Taxonomies | The organization and classification of terms and information into a logical format. |
Transportation Asset Management | Strategic and systematic process of operating, maintaining, upgrading, and expanding physical assets effectively throughout their life cycle (FHWA 2017). |
Transportation Performance Management | Strategic approach that uses system information to make investment and policy decisions to achieve national performance goals. |
Transportation System Management and Operations | A set of strategies that focus on operational improvements that can maintain and even restore the performance of the existing transportation system before additional capacity is needed (FHWA n.d.). |
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Abbreviations and acronyms used without definitions in TRB publications: | |
A4A | Airlines for America |
AAAE | American Association of Airport Executives |
AASHO | American Association of State Highway Officials |
AASHTO | American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |
ACI–NA | Airports Council International–North America |
ACRP | Airport Cooperative Research Program |
ADA | Americans with Disabilities Act |
APTA | American Public Transportation Association |
ASCE | American Society of Civil Engineers |
ASME | American Society of Mechanical Engineers |
ASTM | American Society for Testing and Materials |
ATA | American Trucking Associations |
CTAA | Community Transportation Association of America |
CTBSSP | Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program |
DHS | Department of Homeland Security |
DOE | Department of Energy |
EPA | Environmental Protection Agency |
AA | Federal Aviation Administration |
AST | Fixing Americaʼs Surface Transportation Act (2015) |
HWA | Federal Highway Administration |
MCSA | Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration |
RA | Federal Railroad Administration |
TA | Federal Transit Administration |
GHSA | Governors Highway Safety Association |
HMCRP | Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program |
IEEE | Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers |
ISTEA | Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 |
ITE | Institute of Transportation Engineers |
MAP-21 | Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (2012) |
NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
NASAO | National Association of State Aviation Officials |
NCFRP | National Cooperative Freight Research Program |
NCHRP | National Cooperative Highway Research Program |
NHTSA | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
NTSB | National Transportation Safety Board |
PHMSA | Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration |
RITA | Research and Innovative Technology Administration |
SAE | Society of Automotive Engineers |
SAFETEA-LU | Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (2005) |
TCRP | Transit Cooperative Research Program |
TEA-21 | Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (1998) |
TRB | Transportation Research Board |
TSA | Transportation Security Administration |
U.S. DOT | United States Department of Transportation |
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