The Data Repurposing Challenge

Abstract

When data is collected for the first time, the data collector has in mind the data quality requirements that must be satisfied before it can be used successfully—that is, the data collector ensures “fitness for use”—the commonly agreed upon definition of data quality [Wang and Strong 1996]. However, data that is repurposed [Woodall and Wainman 2015], as opposed to reused, must be managed with multiple different fitness for use requirements in mind, which complicates any data quality enhancements [Ballou and Pazer 1985]. While other work has considered context in relation to data quality requirements, including the need to meet multiple fitness for use requirements [Watts et al. 2009; Bertossi et al. 2011], in the current fast-paced environment of data repurposing for analytics and business intelligence, there are new challenges for dealing with multiple fitness for use requirements in the context of: