How can you identify the scope of a data source?

2 Identify potential data sources

The next step is to identify potential data sources that can help you answer your reporting question. Data sources can be internal or external, structured or unstructured, qualitative or quantitative, and primary or secondary. You should consider the availability, accessibility, and suitability of each data source for your reporting question. For example, if you are reporting on the sales performance of a company, you might look for data sources such as sales records, invoices, customer feedback, market research, and industry reports.

3 Assess the quality of data sources

The third step is to assess the quality of data sources based on criteria such as accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness, and relevance. You should check for errors, gaps, outliers, duplicates, and biases in the data. You should also verify the source, method, and date of data collection and processing. For example, if you are reporting on the sales performance of a company, you might evaluate the quality of data sources such as sales records, invoices, customer feedback, market research, and industry reports by comparing them with each other and with external benchmarks.

4 Determine the scope of data sources

The fourth step is to determine the scope of data sources based on the dimensions, variables, and values they contain. You should identify the key features, characteristics, and categories of the data that are relevant to your reporting question. You should also determine the range, distribution, and variation of the data. For example, if you are reporting on the sales performance of a company, you might determine the scope of data sources such as sales records, invoices, customer feedback, market research, and industry reports by identifying the sales regions, products, channels, segments, and periods they cover.

5 Select and combine data sources

The final step is to select and combine data sources that best suit your reporting question and quality standards. You should choose the data sources that provide the most accurate, complete, consistent, timely, and relevant information for your analysis. You should also integrate and harmonize the data sources that have different formats, structures, and definitions. For example, if you are reporting on the sales performance of a company, you might select and combine data sources such as sales records, invoices, customer feedback, market research, and industry reports by using common identifiers, metrics, and units.

By following these steps, you can identify the scope of a data source and use it effectively for your business reporting project. You can also avoid wasting time, money, and resources on data sources that are not suitable, reliable, or relevant for your reporting question.