Format consistency
| Characteristic Name: | Format consistency |
| Dimension: | Consistency |
| Description: | Data formats are consistently used |
| Granularity: | Element |
| Implementation Type: | Rule-based approach |
| Characteristic Type: | Declarative |
Verification Metric:
| The number of inconsistent data formats reported in an attribute per thousand records |
The implementation guidelines are guidelines to follow in regard to the characteristic. The scenarios are examples of the implementation
| Guidelines: | Scenario: |
|---|---|
| Maintain consistent formats for data values across different data bases and different tables in the same database. | (1) Telephone number : Country code/Area code/number (2) Address : House number, Street, Suburb, Sate, Country |
| Maintain structural similarity or compatibility of entities and attributes across systems (databases/data sets) and across time. | (1) Customer record has the same structure in all systems which it is being used. |
| Maintain consistent and compatible encoding /decoding standards across different applications. | (1) ASCII, UTF-8, XML |
Validation Metric:
| How mature is the creation and implementation of the DQ rules to maintain format consistency |
These are examples of how the characteristic might occur in a database.
| Example: | Source: |
|---|---|
| 1) Each class in a UK secondary school is allocated a class identifier; this consists of the 3 initials of the teacher plus a two digit year group number of the class. It is declared as AAA99 (3 Alpha characters and two numeric characters).
2) A new year 9 teacher, Sally Hearn (without a middle name) is appointed therefore there are only two initials. A decision must be made as to how to represent two initials or the rule will fail and the database will reject the class identifier of “SH09”. It is decided that an additional character “Z” will be added to pad the letters to 3: “SZH09”, however this could break the accuracy rule. A better solution would be to amend the database to accept 2 or 3 initials and 1 or 2 numbers. 3) In this scenario, the parent, a US Citizen, applying to a European school completes the Date of Birth (D.O.B) on the application form in the US date format, MM/DD/YYYY rather than the European DD/MM/YYYY format, causing the representation of days and months to be reversed. |
N. Askham, et al., “The Six Primary Dimensions for Data Quality Assessment: Defining Data Quality Dimensions”, DAMA UK Working Group, 2013. |
| if a data element is used to store the color of a person’s eyes, a value of TRUCK is invalid. A value of BROWN for my eye color would be valid but inaccurate, in that my real eye color is blue. | J. E. Olson, “Data Quality: The Accuracy Dimension”, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 9 January 2003. |
The Definitions are examples of the characteristic that appear in the sources provided.
| Definition: | Source: |
|---|---|
| A measure of the equivalence of information stored or used in various data stores, applications, and systems, and the processes for making data equivalent | D. McGilvray, “Executing Data Quality Projects: Ten Steps to Quality Data and Trusted Information”, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2008. |
| The extent to which similar attributes or elements of an information object are consistently represented using the same structure, format, and precision. | STVILIA, B., GASSER, L., TWIDALE, M. B. & SMITH, L. C. 2007. A framework for information quality assessment. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 58, 1720-1733. |
Appropriate presentation
| Characteristic Name: | Appropriate presentation |
| Dimension: | Usability and Interpretability |
| Description: | The data presentation is aligned with its use |
| Granularity: | Information object |
| Implementation Type: | Process-based approach |
| Characteristic Type: | Usage |
Verification Metric:
| The number of tasks failed or under performed due to the lack of appropriate presentation of data |
| The number of complaints received due to the lack of appropriate presentation of data |
The implementation guidelines are guidelines to follow in regard to the characteristic. The scenarios are examples of the implementation
| Guidelines: | Scenario: |
|---|---|
| Ensure that Universally accepted standard formats are used to maintain the compatibility of information across organisations and across time | (1) A patients diagnostic card generated in one hospital is compatible with another hospital. |
| Ensure that information can be aggregated or combined through the use of compatible formats | (1) Product wise monthly sales report can be generated by combining the sales reports of three subsidiaries |
| Ensure that the data presentations are familiar to the users even if the application platform is changed. | (1) A quotation created in one system is sent to another system through an EDI message and displayed in the same presentation format |
| Ensure the media of presentation is appropriate for the target group | (1) A step by step written instruction list in a documents appropriate for a software engineer. (2) A video display is appropriate for a mechanic |
| Ensure that the presentation formats are flexible to accommodate changes easily | (1) An invoice document may require additional space to mansion authorisation evidence |
Validation Metric:
| How mature is the process to maintain appropriate presentation of data |
These are examples of how the characteristic might occur in a database.
| Example: | Source: |
|---|---|
| my birth date is December 13, 1941. If a personnel database has a BIRTH_DATE data element that expects dates in USA format, a date of 12/13/1941 would be correct. A date of 12/14/1941 would be inaccurate because it is the wrong value. A date of 13/12/1941 would be wrong because it is a European representation instead of a USA representation. | J. E. Olson, “Data Quality: The Accuracy Dimension”, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 9 January 2003. |
The Definitions are examples of the characteristic that appear in the sources provided.
| Definition: | Source: |
|---|---|
| A measure of how information is presented to and collected from those who utilize it. Format and appearance support appropriate use of information. | D. McGilvray, “Executing Data Quality Projects: Ten Steps to Quality Data and Trusted Information”, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2008. |
| 1) The Characteristic in which formatted data is presented consistently in a standardized or consistent way across different media, such as in computer screens, reports, or manually prepared reports.
2) The Characteristic of Information being presented in the right technology Media, such as online, hardcopy report, audio, or video. 3) The degree to which Information is presented in a way Intuitive and appropriate for the task at hand. The Presentation Quality of Information will vary by the individual purposes for which it is required. Some users require concise presentation, whereas others require a complete, detailed presentation, and yet others require graphic, color, or other highlighting techniques. |
ENGLISH, L. P. 2009. Information quality applied: Best practices for improving business information, processes and systems, Wiley Publishing. |
| 1) Appropriateness is the dimension we use to categorize how well the format and presentation of the data match the user needs. In our example, there is a difference between a high-level monthly sales report that is supplied to senior management and the daily product manifests that are handed to the shipping department for product packaging.
2) Flexibility in presentation describes the ability of the system to adapt to changes in both the represented information and in user requirements for presentation of information. For example, a system that display different counties; currencies may need to have the screen presentation change to allow for more significant digits for prices to be displayed when there is a steep devaluation in one county’s currency. 3) In an environment that makes use of different kinds of systems and applications, a portable interface is important so that as applications are migrated from one platform to another, the presentation of data is familiar to the users. Also, when dealing with a system designed for international use, the user of international standards as well as universally recognized icons is a sign of system designed with presentation portability in mind. |
LOSHIN, D. 2001. Enterprise knowledge management: The data quality approach, Morgan Kaufmann Pub. |
| 1) Data is presented in an intelligible manner.
2) Data is presented in a manner appropriate for its use, with respect to format, precision, and units. |
PRICE, R. J. & SHANKS, G. Empirical refinement of a semiotic information quality framework. System Sciences, 2005. HICSS'05. Proceedings of the 38th Annual Hawaii International Conference on, 2005. IEEE, 216a-216a. |
| Good format, like good views, are flexible so that changes in user need and recording medium can be accommodated. | REDMAN, T. C. 1997. Data quality for the information age, Artech House, Inc. |
| Data are always presented in the same format and are compatible with the previous data. | WANG, R. Y. & STRONG, D. M. 1996. Beyond accuracy: What data quality means to data consumers. Journal of management information systems, 5-33. |