FPDS Query Library
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Entity Data Source

This field identifies the data source used to populate the vendor entity record in the IDV vendor site details segment. It is typically a coded or abbreviated value, such as a commercial reference source name, rather than a free-text description of the vendor itself.

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

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
content__IDV__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__vendorLocation__entityDataSource
Title
Entity Data Source
FPDS Path
IDV/vendor/vendorSiteDetails/vendorLocation/entityDataSource
Description
This field identifies the data source used to populate the vendor entity record in the IDV vendor site details segment. It is typically a coded or abbreviated value, such as a commercial reference source name, rather than a free-text description of the vendor itself.
Business Meaning
It matters because the source can affect how much confidence analysts place in vendor identity, normalization, and match quality across awards and vendor records. In procurement analysis, it helps distinguish entities derived from different reference systems and supports reproducible vendor-level grouping and filtering.
Example Value
D&B
Observed Non-Null Count
5,812,010

FPDS Compare

FPDS Query Variable
content__IDV__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__vendorLocation__entityDataSource
FPDS XML Path
IDV/vendor/vendorSiteDetails/vendorLocation/entityDataSource
Mapping Type
flattened_fpds_xml_field
Comparison Summary
FPDS Query flattens the original nested FPDS XML path 'IDV/vendor/vendorSiteDetails/vendorLocation/entityDataSource' into the SQL-ready variable 'content__IDV__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 vendor records by source system
  • Group awards by vendor entity origin
  • Validate vendor matching and deduplication workflows

Common Mistakes

  • Interpreting the value as the vendor's business name or address
  • Comparing records from different source codes without accounting for source-specific coverage or normalization

Query Guidance

Use this field in WHERE clauses, GROUP BY, or CASE logic when you need to segment vendor entities by source. Join or compare it with any paired description field or reference table only after confirming the code set, and avoid using it as a standalone proxy for vendor identity.

SQL Examples

Preview values

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

Top values

SELECT
    content__IDV__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__vendorLocation__entityDataSource AS value,
    count() AS record_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__IDV__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.