ISO/IEC 25012: Data Quality Model

ISO/IEC 25012 defines a data quality model in the SQuaRE family (ISO/IEC 25000). It gives a shared structure for specifying, discussing, and evaluating data quality characteristics in software and information systems.

Why it matters:

  • It provides a common quality vocabulary for data, not just for software behavior.
  • It complements ISO/IEC 25024, which focuses on measurement.
  • It is complementary to ISO 8000, which focuses strongly on data quality governance, exchange, and operational quality practices.

Scope and Model Structure

ISO/IEC 25012 models data quality from two perspectives:

  • Inherent data quality: quality properties that can be assessed from the data itself.
  • System-dependent data quality: quality properties influenced by the system environment where data is stored, processed, and accessed.

The ISO catalog abstract states that the model defines 15 data quality characteristics across these perspectives.

Practical Use in Projects

Use ISO/IEC 25012 as a framing model when you need to:

  • define data quality requirements early (before implementation choices),
  • align stakeholders on what “good data” means in your context,
  • map quality goals to measurable checks via ISO/IEC 25024,
  • separate data-intrinsic issues (for example completeness/consistency) from platform/operations issues (for example availability/recoverability).

Quality Attributes Emphasized

The standard directly or indirectly addresses these q42 quality characteristics:

Quality Attribute Why it is relevant in ISO/IEC 25012
Data Quality Core focus of the standard: defines a formal model for data quality characteristics.
Accuracy Data should correctly represent real-world values and facts.
Completeness Required information should be present for intended use.
Consistency Data should not contradict itself across records/sources/rules.
Currentness Data should be sufficiently up to date for the intended decision/process.
Credibility Data should be trustworthy for stakeholders and use cases.
Availability Data should be available when needed by authorized users/processes.
Confidentiality Data access/disclosure must be controlled and protected.
Compliance Data handling should conform to regulatory and organizational constraints.
Traceability Data lineage/provenance should be understandable and auditable.

References and Resources

Authoritative Sources

Notes on Currency

  • The ISO catalog entry for ISO/IEC 25012 indicates the standard is still current and was most recently confirmed in 2025.