Information Systems: Validation And Verification

The information produced by a system is only as good as the quality of the data that is input.

Errors in data can have far-reaching effects.

Errors can occur when data is:

• Captured
• Transcribed
• Transmitted
• Processed

Errors can be reduced in a variety of ways, including:

• Using automatic data capture methods such as OCR or OMR that remove the need for transcription
• Verification checks
• Validation checks such as presence check, range check, type check, format check, cross-field check, look-up list and check digit
• Thorough analysis and specification that takes into account all possible circumstances
• Thorough testing

Data that is valid may not be accurate or correct.