1. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions to: receive hierarchical data; receive a hierarchical data schema associated with the hierarchical data, wherein the hierarchical data schema defines relationships between data elements and data properties within the hierarchical data; generate an entity relationship model for the hierarchical data schema, wherein the entity relationship model represents the relationships in the hierarchical data schema as a logical structure of tables and joins; map the hierarchical data schema to the entity relationship model; define a semantic abstraction associated with the entity relationship model; define a business element term representing an underlying data element within the hierarchical data represented by the semantic abstraction, wherein the semantic abstraction includes the entity relationship model and the business element term; and create a report query based on the business element term.