Activities and Techniques for Data Quality: Generalities

In this chapter we have introduced several data quality activities, discovering that the improvement of data quality in an organization can be performed with a variety of actions and strategies. All of the activities introduced apply to data, and produce data of improved quality according to a given process. Other improvement activities can rely on processes that manipulate data, modifying the process or introducing suitable controls in the process; we will discuss them in Chapter 7.

We have also started the discussion on activities while thoroughly analyzing (i) quality composition, and (ii) error localization and correction. Finally, we have discussed cost-benefit classifications in data quality, that can be used as check lists in the process of cost and benefit allocation. For quality composition and error localization and correction we introduced a spectrum of techniques for several possible cases, while for cost/benefit classifications we compared the different approaches. In such a way, we provided a framework for analysis that allows the reader to choose the specific approach to adopt based on the context of use.