A data element concept represents the union of an Object Class and a Property. Examples of data element concepts include concepts such as, Person — date of birth, Person — country of birth, and Person — religious affiliation.

A data element concept is solely a conceptual description and does not include values for measurement or collection. Values are described by a Value Domain, which in combination with the data element concept forms a Data Element.

A Conceptual Domain may also be associated with a data element concept, thereby providing meaning to the values associated with the concept. A one-to-many relationship may be formed between a data element concept and suitable conceptual domains.

ISO/IEC 11179-3 Section 11.2.2.3.

Data_Element_Concept is a class each instance of which models a data element concept (3.2.29). A data element concept is a specification of a concept (3.2.18) independent of any particular representation. A data element concept can be represented in the form of a Data Element (3.2.28).

A Data_Element_Concept may have a data_element_concept_object_class association (11.2.3.3) with zero or one Object_Class (11.2.2.1) and a data_element_concept_property association (11.2.3.1) with zero or one Property (11.2.2.2).

The combination of a Property (3.2.100) and an Object Class (3.2.88) provides significance beyond either that of the property or the object class. A Data_Element_Concept thus has a Definition (7.3.2.4) independent of the Definition of the Object_Class or the Property.

Every Data_Element_Concept must have exactly one data_element_concept_domain association (11.2.3.2) with a Conceptual_Domain (11.3.2.1), where the Data_Element_Concept supplies a usage for the associated Conceptual_Domain.

Example: An association between the Data_Element_Concept "Person Country of Residence" and the Conceptual_Domain "Country".