A data definition specification may be developed for any organization or specialized field, improving the quality of its products through consistency and transparency.
It eliminates redundancy (since all contributing areas are referencing the same specification) and provides standardization, making it easier and more efficient to create, modify, verify, analyze and share information across the enterprise.
It defines an XML-based interchange format and common data dictionary on the fields needed to describe: (1) financial instruments, (2) corporate events affecting value and tradability, and (3) market-related, economic and industrial indicators.
The Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS) uses one principle of a DDS: consistent use of key terms to catalog digital objects for global use.
Preserving Virtual Worlds attempted to address archival-format deficiencies, citing the lack of suitable documentation for interactive fiction and games at the bit level: specifically, the absence of "representation information" needed to map raw bits into higher-level data constructs.