Can You Trust Your Data? Establishing the Need for a Measurement and Analysis Infrastructure Diagnostic

SEI Report
This report describes common errors in measurement and analysis and the need for a criterion-based assessment method.
Publisher

Software Engineering Institute

CMU/SEI Report Number
CMU/SEI-2008-TN-028
DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
10.1184/R1/6572135.v1

Abstract

An organization's measurement and analysis infrastructure directly impacts the quality of the decisions made by people at all organizational levels. Ensuring information quality is a challenge for most organizations—partly because they might not be fully aware of their own data quality levels. Without this information, they cannot know the full business impact of poor or unknown data quality or determine how to begin improving their data. This report describes common errors in measurement and analysis and the need for a criterion-based assessment method that will allow organizations to evaluate key characteristics of their measurement programs.

Cite This SEI Report

Kasunic, M., McCurley, J., & Zubrow, D. (2008, November 1). Can You Trust Your Data? Establishing the Need for a Measurement and Analysis Infrastructure Diagnostic. (SEI Report CMU/SEI-2008-TN-028). Retrieved August 18, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6572135.v1.

@techreport{kasunic_2008,
author={Kasunic, Mark and McCurley, Jim and Zubrow, David},
title={Can You Trust Your Data? Establishing the Need for a Measurement and Analysis Infrastructure Diagnostic},
month={Nov},
year={2008},
number={{CMU/SEI-2008-TN-028},
institution={Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University},
doi={10.1184/R1/6572135.v1},
url={https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6572135.v1},
note={Accessed: 2026-Aug-18}
}

Kasunic, Mark, Jim McCurley, and David Zubrow. "Can You Trust Your Data? Establishing the Need for a Measurement and Analysis Infrastructure Diagnostic." (CMU/SEI-2008-TN-028). Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, November 1, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6572135.v1.

M. Kasunic, J. McCurley, and D. Zubrow, "Can You Trust Your Data? Establishing the Need for a Measurement and Analysis Infrastructure Diagnostic," Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, SEI Report CMU/SEI-2008-TN-028, 1-Nov-2008 [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6572135.v1. [Accessed: 18-Aug-2026].

Kasunic, Mark, Jim McCurley, and David Zubrow. "Can You Trust Your Data? Establishing the Need for a Measurement and Analysis Infrastructure Diagnostic." (SEI Report CMU/SEI-2008-TN-028). Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute, 1 Nov. 2008. https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6572135.v1. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Kasunic, Mark; McCurley, Jim; & Zubrow, David. Can You Trust Your Data? Establishing the Need for a Measurement and Analysis Infrastructure Diagnostic. CMU/SEI-2008-TN-028. Software Engineering Institute. 2008. DOI: 10.1184/R1/6572135.v1. https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6572135.v1