FPDS Query Library
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Contract Action Type

A coded indicator that identifies the type of action recorded for an Other Transaction award transaction. It classifies the transaction event itself, such as an initial award, modification, or other contract-action category used in FPDS reporting.

Family: Other Transaction Award
Category: Contract Data
Data Type: string
Semantic Type: attribute
Mapping: flattened_fpds_xml_field
AI Confidence: high

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
content__OtherTransactionAward__contractDetail__contractData__contractActionType
Title
Contract Action Type
FPDS Path
OtherTransactionAward/contractDetail/contractData/contractActionType
Description
A coded indicator that identifies the type of action recorded for an Other Transaction award transaction. It classifies the transaction event itself, such as an initial award, modification, or other contract-action category used in FPDS reporting.
Business Meaning
This field is important for separating award events from subsequent updates and for understanding how a record fits into the lifecycle of an Other Transaction award. Analysts use it to count actions correctly, compare activity over time, and distinguish obligation-bearing awards from administrative changes or follow-on transactions.
Example Value
R
Observed Non-Null Count
38,894

FPDS Compare

FPDS Query Variable
content__OtherTransactionAward__contractDetail__contractData__contractActionType
FPDS XML Path
OtherTransactionAward/contractDetail/contractData/contractActionType
Mapping Type
flattened_fpds_xml_field
Comparison Summary
FPDS Query flattens the original nested FPDS XML path 'OtherTransactionAward/contractDetail/contractData/contractActionType' into the SQL-ready variable 'content__OtherTransactionAward__contractDetail__contractData__contractActionType'.

Use Cases

  • Dictionary lookup and field explanation
  • SQL filtering and grouping
  • Analytical reporting and reusable query building

Common Usage

  • Separate new awards from modifications
  • Count transaction volume by action type
  • Filter lifecycle events in award-level analysis

Common Mistakes

  • Using action records as if each row were a unique award
  • Grouping without decoding the action code first

Query Guidance

Use the field as a filter or GROUP BY dimension after confirming the code set in your data. In SQL, aggregate by this column only when you intend to analyze transaction types; otherwise join or deduplicate on the award identifier to avoid double counting repeated actions.

SQL Examples

Preview values

SELECT
    content__OtherTransactionAward__contractDetail__contractData__contractActionType AS contract_action_type
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__OtherTransactionAward__contractDetail__contractData__contractActionType IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 25

Top values

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