What Does Schema on Read Mean?

Schema on read refers to an innovative data analysis strategy in new data-handling tools like Hadoop and other more involved database technologies. In schema on read, data is applied to a plan or schema as it is pulled out of a stored location, rather than as it goes in.

Techopedia Explains Schema on Read

Older database technologies had an enforcement strategy of schema on write—in other words, the data had to be applied to a plan or schema when it was going into the database. This was done partially to enforce consistency of data, and that is one of the major benefits of schema on write. With schema on read, the persons handling the data may need to do more work to identify each data piece, but there is a lot more versatility.