A county assessor finds parcel records with blank owner names in a required field used for tax notices. A clerk calls it 'incomplete paperwork' and wants to ignore it. How should the information manager treat the blanks?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Blank required fields are like leaving the 'To:' line empty on a tax notice—the form looks filled in until you try to use it. Completeness is a data quality concern when the field is needed for the work. Incomplete paperwork is still a DQ defect when the value is required for use.
Full Explanation
Completeness assesses whether required values are present for the intended purpose. When owner name is needed for tax notices, blank values are completeness defects, not merely informal paperwork habits. Framing the issue as fitness for use keeps the assessment tied to business requirements rather than dismissing missing data as style.