Fig. 15.1.14 Auditing.

Text and the System of Record

An interesting issue is as follows: where does text fit into the system of record? The
answer is that any text used for entry into the corporate decision-making environment
becomes part of the system of record. Text is a special case of data. Text cannot be
changed once the author has written the text. It is legally and ethically improper to take a
written document and alter the document. For that reason, text that is used in decision-
making becomes an essential part of the system of record.

This applies EVEN IF THE TEXT IS NOT CORRECT. Suppose someone writes “Bill
Inmon makes a million dollars a month.” Certainly, the information portrayed in the text
is incorrect. But of that is what the author wrote, then the text cannot be changed, even
though the text conveys an incorrect idea.

Of course, there is all sorts of text that is written that is never used in the corporate
decision-making process. This text is NOT part of the system of record. Only text used
for inclusion into the database infrastructure is used for the system of record.

Fig. 15.1.15 shows the relationship of text in the system of record.

Chapter 15.1: The System of Record