This International Standard specifies data categories for recording terminological information in both computerized and non-computerized environments and for the interchange and retrieval of terminological information independent of the local software applications or hardware environments in which these data categories are used.

Some of the data categories specified in this International Standard derive requirements from definitions taken from other ISO terminology standards, e.g., ISO 1087 and ISO 5127, so as to harmonize the content of data categories across systems and to facilitate data interchange. The systematic arrangement of data categories in this International Standard is determined by database management considerations and does not reflect any theoretical arrangement of related terms and concepts used in other standards.

If applied for the purpose of interchanging machine-readable terminology, it is recommended that this International Standard be used in conjunction with ISO 12200, although it can also be used for modeling terminological information independent of computer applications.

It is not the purpose of this International Standard to specify actual data categories used in local database applications, because translation routines can be employed to convert application data categories to the universal categories specified here, provided that the values of the data associated with these categories are harmonized according to the relevant data category definitions.

It is also not the purpose of this International Standard to specify precise relationships among data categories, such as repeatability and combinability. These features remain the province of the individual database application and of ISO 12200. Nor does this International Standard prescribe a mandatory base set of data categories for local applications.

This International Standard does not specify data categories for the markup of bibliographic data entries. ISO 12083:1994, annex B, includes bibliographic elements among other elements cited as useful in the preparation and markup of machine-readable documents. Annex B of this International Standard lists data categories that correspond to elements cited in ISO 12083 and that are appropriate for the documentation of bibliographic citations in terminological entries.