DQ Metadata for Decision Making: Pitfalls and Possibilities

In this study we examine the impact of providing data quality (DQ) metadata together with its associated data, on decision outcomes. Literature has shown that, when DQ metadata is provided to decision-makers along with the data, it is used, and when used, it can affect decision outcomes. Two key issues have not received sufficient attention: (a) does DQ metadata improve decision outcomes? (b) What characteristics of the decision-task and decision-maker support the effective absorption of DQ metadata? Our objective in this paper is to present our theoretical model and the preliminary results from our research that attempts to answer the questions above. We believe this study has important implications for the decision-environments that use DQ metadata.