Applied information quality: a framework for thinking about the quality of specific information.

Information quality, considered abstractly, may seem to be a relatively straightforward matter. Information should be accurate, up to date, useful, and attributable to reputable sources. However, determining the quality of a specific piece of information for a specific use is a more complicated process. The concept of applied information quality is defined in this paper as a judgment of information quality (1) made by a specific person or persons, (2) in a specific situational context for use of that information, and (3) based on the characteristics of the information. Each of the three elements of the judgment influences its outcome. Information judgments are made by individuals in the context of their discipline and community of practice. The situational context includes the specifics of the context for use of the information, the questions that the information must address, the strategy for locating potentially relevant information, and the body of information that is retrieved and is available for judgment and use. The paper focuses on the third element of a judgment of information quality--the characteristics of the information on which the judgment is based. These characteristics are grouped for discussion under six metaquestions: What is the information item of interest? How was the focal information created and when? Who is involved with the focal information? From what perspective was the information created and why? What relationships does the focal information have to other information--its antecedents, sources, and other related information? What approval, review, or other filtering processes, if any, has the information gone through? Approaches to improving quality judgments can focus on improving the information itself, improving the channels that organize and deliver information, or improving the individual's ability to judge the quality of information for a specific purpose. These are not mutually exclusive and, probably, all should be pursued. Applied judgments of information quality are ultimately the responsibility of the individuals using information; they need to be supported in this professional activity as they are in the other responsibilities of their professional practice.