Validity
Whether a value follows the rules for its column: the right type, the right format, and within the allowed range or list. A date of February 30 is invalid.
Validity can be checked by software, which makes it the easiest quality to measure. A valid value is not necessarily an accurate one: a real date can still be the wrong date.
Where it comes up
- Impossible datesA value is shaped like a date but names a day that does not exist or could not have happened.
- Free text in a coded fieldA column meant to hold one of a few fixed values also holds comments, explanations, and whole sentences.
See also
- ValidationChecking values against rules, such as a date being in the past or a state code being on the allowed list, and reporting what fails.
- AccuracyHow closely a recorded value matches the real thing it describes. A birth date that is a well-formed date and still not the person's birth date is inaccurate.
- ConstraintA rule that a database or file format enforces on a column, such as not blank, unique, or within a range. Data that breaks the rule is rejected.