''This document provides a set of descriptors to be used in describing the internal structure of the noun phrase across languages. As used by the author, a descriptor is a statement like, "There is no plural marker." The author refers to a coherent set of descriptors as a "checklist", which is roughly equivalent to "questionnaire" for other authors. In addition to developing the proposed general checklist in outline, the author discusses the criteria adopted for the evaluation of typological checklists.