Towards a Contextual Approach to Data Quality

In this commentary, I propose a framework for thinking about data quality in the context of scientific research. I start by analyzing conceptualizations of quality as a property of information, evidence and data and reviewing research in the philosophy of information, the philosophy of science and t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Stefano Canali
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-09-01
Series:Data
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5729/5/4/90
Description
Summary:In this commentary, I propose a framework for thinking about data quality in the context of scientific research. I start by analyzing conceptualizations of quality as a property of information, evidence and data and reviewing research in the philosophy of information, the philosophy of science and the philosophy of biomedicine. I identify a push for purpose dependency as one of the main results of this review. On this basis, I present a contextual approach to data quality in scientific research, whereby the quality of a dataset is dependent on the context of use of the dataset as much as the dataset itself. I exemplify the approach by discussing current critiques and debates of scientific quality, thus showcasing how data quality can be approached contextually.
ISSN:2306-5729