On the measurability of information quality

  • Authors:

  • Ofer Arazy;Rick Kopak

  • Affiliations:

  • Department of Accounting and Management Information Systems, Alberta School of Business, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E8 Canada;School of Library, Archival and Information Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1 Canada

  • Venue:
  • Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology
  • Year:
  • 2011

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Abstract

The notion of information quality (IQ) has been investigated extensively in recent years. Much of this research has been aimed at conceptualizing IQ and its underlying dimensions (e.g., accuracy, completeness) and at developing instruments for measuring these quality dimensions. However, less attention has been given to the measurability of IQ. The objective of this study is to explore the extent to which a set of IQ dimensions—accuracy, completeness, objectivity, and representation—lend themselves to reliable measurement. By reliable measurement, we refer to the degree to which independent assessors are able to agree when rating objects on these various dimensions. Our study reveals that multiple assessors tend to agree more on certain dimensions (e.g., accuracy) while finding it more difficult to agree on others (e.g., completeness). We argue that differences in measurability stem from properties inherent to the quality dimension (i.e., the availability of heuristics that make the assessment more tangible) as well as on assessors' reliance on these cues. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.