Science and Technology Issues Relating to Data Quality in C2 Systems

Abstract : A C2 system depends crucially on having high-quality underlying data. There is still no "best" set of data quality dimensions and metrics for C2. We consider the sixteen data quality criteria identified by the Total Data Quality Management (TDQM) research community, as well as the dimensions identified by the ISO 8000 standard. We map these into the criteria commonly applied by the intelligence community (IC), and those identified by various parts of the US DoD. The IC's "usability" criterion covers several different concepts that are difficult to measure. Meanwhile, the DoD's Net Centric Data Strategy (NCDS) arguably does not adequately address the notion of data timeliness. The NCDS covers some important factors such as believability and reputation, but the coverage is primarily limited to using authoritative, vetted data sources. This does not address important situations where data come from a variety of sources with varying degrees of reliability. On the other hand, the TDQM criteria do not adequately capture the notions of readiness and adaptability. Once an accepted set of data quality characteristics and associated metrics for C2 is available, there is a good case for explicitly incorporating it into C2 system operations.