Chapter 1 - Overview

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the information and data quality approaches described in the book. Information qualityis the degree to which information and data can be a trusted source for any and/or all required uses. Two major trends have generated interest in information quality: one is the increasing number of legal and regulatory data quality requirements and the second is based on the need for business to see information brought together in new ways. The Ten Steps to Quality Data and Trusted Information methodology described in the book represents a systematic approach to improving and creating data and information quality. The methodology combines a conceptual framework for understanding information quality and The Ten Steps process, which provides instructions, techniques, and best practices. One can use this methodology to create and improve the quality of information in business and to establish continuous improvement through better information management. The key concepts of information quality, including the Framework for Information Quality, the Information Life Cycle, and the Information and Data Quality Improvement Cycle, provide the foundation for understanding what information quality is and what is required to achieve it. The Framework for Information Quality (FIQ) establishes the conceptual structure for understanding the components that contribute to quality. The Information Life Cycle provides a view of how information is obtained, used, and discarded. The Information and Data Quality Improvement Cycle explains the assessment, awareness, and action cycle as it leads to continuous quality improvement, for which The Ten Steps process provides concrete directions for execution.