Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for the identification of data elements. A user input is received, comprising a data element and a context in which the data element is being used. The user input is sent to a terminology database. A list of entries is received, each entry having a first unique identifier (UID) and a second UID. The first represents a concept associated with the data element, and the second represents a specific description of the concept associated with the data element. A user input is received selecting an entry. The UIDs corresponding to the selected entry are directly associated with the data set. In some implementations, directly associating the UIDs with the data set comprises generating markup code comprising the UIDs. The invention lays the groundwork for a more efficient solution for the features / requirements related to versioning, updating, and translation in the realm of hypertexts.