Do you know your IQ?

Abstract

Information quality (IQ) is a measure of how fit information is for a purpose. Sometimes called Quality of Information (QoI) by analogy with Quality of Service (QoS), it quantifies whether the correct information is being used to make a decision or take an action. Not understanding when information is of adequate quality can lead to bad decisions and catastrophic effects, including system outages, increased costs, lost revenue -- and worse. Quantifying information quality can help improve decision making, but the ultimate goal should be to select or construct information producers that have the appropriate balance between information quality and the cost of providing it. In this paper, we provide a brief introduction to the field, argue the case for applying information quality metrics in the systems domain, and propose a research agenda to explore this space.