Core content: how LCA data is organized

TIDAS organizes common LCA information as a set of linked files. This page first explains what those files record, then shows where automated checks stop. Open the terms and abbreviations whenever a concept is unfamiliar.

How LCA data is connected

• A process data set records a production or service activity: what it uses and produces, when and where it occurs, and which sources support it.
• An exchange connects a process to a flow. A flow may be a product or waste, or an elementary flow taken directly from or released directly to the natural environment.
• Flow properties and unit groups define how quantities such as mass, energy, or volume are measured and converted.
• Sources and contacts record supporting information and responsibility; classifications let different data use common names and identifiers.
• Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods and life cycle models hold references used to calculate potential impacts and connect a product system.

Which checks the data goes through

1. Can the file be read? The JSON syntax must be valid.
2. Is the data structure correct? JSON Schema checks required fields, data types, allowed values, and relationships within one file.
3. Are the files complete and consistent together? Directories, IDs, versions, and links between files must agree.
4. Can the data be exchanged in the requested format? If eILCD or another electronic exchange format is needed, run the selected conversion rules and inspect the result.
5. Is the data suitable for the study? System boundaries, functional units, allocation, technical/geographical/time representativeness, uncertainty, and review status need separate explanation and judgement.

What tools can—and cannot—check

TIDAS tools can check file format, fields, and references and can run supported format conversions. Passing those automated checks does not prove that the LCA method is appropriate, that data quality is sufficient, or that an independent critical review has taken place.

Name a compliance claim only when its system and version are explicit and its requirements for quality, method, documentation, and review have been assessed. Record “structure check passed,” “documentation complete,” “data quality described,” and “independently reviewed” as separate statements, not one generic status.

Start with a minimum data package

1. Create one process data set.
2. Add every flow, flow property, unit group, contact, and source it references.
3. Run tidas validate --schema-only to find field and structure problems.
4. Run full tidas validate to check the package and links between files.
5. Add the data-quality explanation, methodological judgement, and review required for the intended use. See the advanced note if you need to record the tool version.