Assuring the quality of information dissemination: responsibilities of database producers*

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Granick, Lois

Affiliations: American Psychological Association, 1400 N. Uhle Street, Arlington, VA 22201, USA

Note: [*] 33rd NFAIS Annual Meeting, February 25–28,1991, Washington, DC, USA

Abstract: Database producers have long been responsive to quality of information issues and have readily accepted the responsibility for instituting procedures within the information generation process that insure a high level of accuracy. Recently, user attention to database quality has increased. This paper compares the database producers' responsibilities for the quality (self-defined) of their products and their responsibilities to the user community and a new quality scale (other-defined). A survey on current practices related to quality assurance, developed and mailed to NFAIS members, forms the basis for reporting on the present state of quality achievement on the self-defined scale. Excerpts from “Measuring the Quality of the Data”, a report of the Southern California Online Users Group (SCOUG) retreat meeting, are used to discuss the other-defined expectations for quality from database producers.

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-1991-11304

Journal: Information Services & Use, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 117-136, 1991