A datasheet is a standardized document that accompanies a dataset and makes its origins, contents, collection, and appropriate uses easier to understand. It helps bridge dataset creators and consumers, especially when opaque data can conceal bias or other problems. section 10.17 section 3.18
A useful datasheet documents:
- The dataset’s motivation and intended purpose. section 10.17
- Its composition and collection process, including information needed to judge provenance and possible bias. section 10.17 section 3.18
- Recommended uses and other relevant characteristics, giving consumers a basis for more reflective decisions. section 10.17
Datasheets support reproducible, responsible data practice, but documentation is not automatically complete or easy. Recording every source in a large, varied pretraining dataset may be extremely time-consuming, and implementation remains uneven across organizations. section 10.17 section 3.18
Dataset cards
Hugging Face makes dataset cards a key feature of dataset documentation. A dataset card for the databricks-dolly-15k dataset illustrates how the datasheet idea can appear in practice. section 10.17
Figure 10.3 A dataset card for the databricks-dolly-15k dataset
View an example dataset card associated with the datasheet approach. section 10.17
