Glossary

6 sigma Six standard deviations used to describe a level of quality in which six standard
deviations of the population fall within the upper and lower limits of quality

Access The operation of seeking, reading, or writing data on a storage unit

Accuracy to reality A characteristic of information quality measuring the degree to
which a data value correctly represents the attributes of the real-world object or event

Accuracy to surrogate source A measure of the degree to which data agree with the
original, acknowledged authoritative source of data about a real-world object or event

Acronym resolution The process of expanding acronyms into their literal meaning

Accuracy A qualitative assessment of freedom from error or a quantitative measurement
of the magnitude of error

Active data dictionary An automated metadata management facility that is tightly and
interactively woven into the development and analysis process

Actuary A professional mathematician trained in the art of studying life expectancy and
accident probabilities

Ad hoc processing One time only casual access and manipulation of data never used
before, usually done in a heuristic, iterative manner

Address The location of a unit of data

After image A snapshot of data placed on a log after the conclusion of a transaction

Agent of change A motivating force large enough not to be denied

Algorithm The instructions that govern the flow of activity in a procedure

Alternate spelling A different way of forming a word pattern

Amazon.com A successful dot.com retailer company

Analog A type of computing driven by sensory perceptions and signals, as opposed to a

Glossary