Introduction

This is a sound textbook for Information Technology and MIS undergraduate students, and MBA graduate students and all professionals looking to grasp a fundamental understanding of information quality. The authors performed an extensive literature search to determine the Fundamental Topics of Data Quality in Information Systems. They reviewed these topics via a survey of data quality experts at the International Conference on Information Quality held at MIT.

The Importance of Data Quality

The concept of data quality is assuming increased importance. Poor data quality affects operational, tactical and strategic decision-making, and yet error rates of up to 70%, with 30% typical are found in practice (Redman). Data that is deficient leads to misinformed people, who in turn make bad decisions. Poor quality data impedes activities such as re-engineering business processes and implementing business strategies. Poor data quality has contributed to major disasters in the federal government, NASA, Information Systems, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and most businesses.

The diverse uses of data and the increased sharing of data that has arisen as a result of the widespread introduction of data warehouses have exacerbated deficiencies with the quality of data (Ballou). In addition, up to half the cost of creating a data warehouse is attributable to poor data quality. The management of data quality so as to ensure the quality of information products is examined in Wang.

Purpose and Goals of the Book

The purpose of this book is to alert our IT-MIS-Business professionals to the pervasiveness and criticality of data quality problems. The secondary agenda is to begin to arm the students with approaches and the commitment to overcome these problems. The current authors have a combined list of over 200 published papers on data and information quality.