FPDS Query Library
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PSC Code Description

Human-readable description associated with the procurement product or service code in an Other Transaction Award record. It is the descriptive label for the coded PSC value, translating the abbreviated code into a plain-language category such as a research-and-development service type.

Family: Other Transaction Award
Category: General
Data Type: string
Semantic Type: description
Mapping: flattened_fpds_xml_field
AI Confidence: high

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
content__OtherTransactionAward__contractDetail__PSCCode__description
Title
PSC Code Description
FPDS Path
OtherTransactionAward/contractDetail/PSCCode/description
Description
Human-readable description associated with the procurement product or service code in an Other Transaction Award record. It is the descriptive label for the coded PSC value, translating the abbreviated code into a plain-language category such as a research-and-development service type.
Business Meaning
This field helps analysts interpret what was actually acquired when reviewing award data, especially when the underlying PSC code is abbreviated or unfamiliar. It supports spend classification, trend analysis by product/service category, and validation of coded procurement records across agencies or awards.
Example Value
R&D- OTHER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (APPLIED RESEARCH/EXPLORATORY DEVELOPMENT)
Observed Non-Null Count
38,894

FPDS Compare

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

Paired Field

Relationship
description_of
Variable
PSC Code

Use Cases

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

Common Usage

  • Display the meaning of a PSC code in reports and dashboards
  • Review and validate product or service category assignments
  • Aggregate awards by procurement category for spend analysis

Common Mistakes

  • Treating the description as a stable identifier instead of the code
  • Grouping solely on the text description and ignoring code-level distinctions

Query Guidance

Select this field with the paired PSC code for reporting or QA, but use the code for joins, filters, and aggregation keys. When deduplicating or summarizing, normalize on the code and treat the description as a display attribute that may vary in capitalization or wording.

SQL Examples

Preview values

SELECT
    content__OtherTransactionAward__contractDetail__PSCCode__description AS p_s_c_code_description
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__OtherTransactionAward__contractDetail__PSCCode__description IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 25

Top values

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