FPDS Query Library
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Entity Data Source

Human-readable source identifier for the vendor’s entity record in the source system used by FPDS, such as D&B. It indicates where the vendor location/entity information originated rather than describing the vendor itself.

Family: Award
Category: Vendor Site Details
Data Type: string
Semantic Type: attribute
Mapping: flattened_fpds_xml_field
AI Confidence: high

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
content__award__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__vendorLocation__entityDataSource
Title
Entity Data Source
FPDS Path
award/vendor/vendorSiteDetails/vendorLocation/entityDataSource
Description
Human-readable source identifier for the vendor’s entity record in the source system used by FPDS, such as D&B. It indicates where the vendor location/entity information originated rather than describing the vendor itself.
Business Meaning
This field helps analysts understand which external or internal entity dataset supports vendor matching, normalization, and cross-system linkage. It is useful when comparing vendor records across awards, validating supplier identity quality, and tracing differences caused by mixed data sources.
Example Value
D&B
Observed Non-Null Count
110,483,905

FPDS Compare

FPDS Query Variable
content__award__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__vendorLocation__entityDataSource
FPDS XML Path
award/vendor/vendorSiteDetails/vendorLocation/entityDataSource
Mapping Type
flattened_fpds_xml_field
Comparison Summary
FPDS Query flattens the original nested FPDS XML path 'award/vendor/vendorSiteDetails/vendorLocation/entityDataSource' into the SQL-ready variable 'content__award__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__vendorLocation__entityDataSource'.

Use Cases

  • Dictionary lookup and field explanation
  • SQL filtering and grouping
  • Analytical reporting and reusable query building
  • Contractor profiling and competitor analysis

Common Usage

  • Filter awards by entity source for vendor matching analysis
  • Group records to assess data quality by source system
  • Validate whether vendor location data came from D&B or another source

Common Mistakes

  • Using it as a unique vendor identifier
  • Assuming different source labels represent the same entity schema

Query Guidance

Use in WHERE or GROUP BY clauses to segment records by source, e.g., WHERE content__award__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__vendorLocation__entityDataSource = 'D&B'. If source values are inconsistent, normalize with TRIM/UPPER and inspect distinct values before aggregating.

SQL Examples

Preview values

SELECT
    content__award__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__vendorLocation__entityDataSource AS entity_data_source
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__vendorLocation__entityDataSource IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 25

Top values

SELECT
    content__award__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__vendorLocation__entityDataSource AS value,
    count() AS record_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__vendorLocation__entityDataSource IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY value
ORDER BY record_count DESC
LIMIT 25

Each dictionary item includes SQL-ready examples generated alongside the variable metadata, allowing immediate use in FPDS Query for filtering, aggregation, and analysis.