A data contract is a document that defines the structure, format, semantics, quality, and terms of use for exchanging data between a data provider and its consumers. Think of it as an API, but for data.

Data contracts are a communication tool used to express a common understanding of how data is structured and what the business semantics are. They make implicit domain knowledge and expectations explicit.

In production, data contracts can be enforced by testing our data products to guarantee high-quality data for data consumers.

In this talk, Jochen Christ (TSC member at Bitol) will introduce the Open Data Contract Standard and demonstrate how to enforce data contracts for high-quality data products.