Discuss how analysts use data dictionaries for analyzing data-oriented systems

Discuss how analysts use data dictionaries for analyzing data-oriented systems? Should compiling the data dictionary be viewed as an end in itself?

A large collection of project information is stored in dictionaries. The system analyst use them to catalog the information about the processing of data, flow of the data, and its structure. The system analyst might opt to use top-down approach, data flow diagrams are really helpful in this regard. The dictionaries have data present I the form of tables that contains the labels of the type of the data that is present in these dictionaries. Data dictionaries are also useful in processes that involve the sharing of data.

I think that compiling the data should be viewed as an end in itself because it is
an activity that parallels systems analysis and design.