Meeting the Challenges of Data Quality Management

Chapter 4

The Data Challenge: The Mechanics of Meaning

Abstract

This chapter presents an extended definition of the concept of data, through the lens of history. All forms of data encode information about the real world. Using data always involves interpretation, so it is important to understand how data works, to understand “data as data.” But what we mean by data and how we create and use it in science, statistics, and commerce have changed over time. Many assumptions about data quality are rooted in this evolution. A better understanding of the evolution of data helps us define and manage specific expectations related to data quality.

Keywords

History of data; statistics; scientific data; organizational data; relational data; characteristics of ...