ISO IEC 25012-2008 PDF

Full title and description

ISO/IEC 25012:2008 — Software engineering — Software product Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) — Data quality model. This International Standard defines a general data-quality model for data retained in structured formats within computer systems and provides a common vocabulary and set of quality characteristics for specifying, measuring and evaluating data quality in software and information systems.

Abstract

ISO/IEC 25012:2008 specifies a data quality model that categorizes fifteen quality characteristics and arranges them along two viewpoints: inherent (qualities of the data itself) and system-dependent (qualities influenced by the system or environment). The standard is intended for use when establishing data quality requirements, defining data quality measures, or planning and performing data quality evaluations as part of the SQuaRE family of standards.

General information

• Status: Published; confirmed as current after review.
• Publication date: December 2008 (edition 1 published December 2008; common publication date recorded as 15 December 2008).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in joint work with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), developed under ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7.
• ICS / categories: Information technology; software engineering (ICS 35.080).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2008).
• Number of pages: 13 pages (official ISO record).

Scope

The standard focuses on the quality of data used within computer systems: it defines quality characteristics applicable to target data (the data an organization chooses to analyse and validate) and distinguishes nontarget data. It is applicable to structured data retained in computer systems and intended to be used together with other parts of the SQuaRE series for defining, measuring and evaluating data quality. The model supports selection of characteristics relevant to particular stakeholders and contexts of use.

Key topics and requirements

• Defines a data quality model with fifteen characteristics organized by two viewpoints: inherent and system-dependent.
• Lists and defines the 15 data quality characteristics: Accuracy, Completeness, Consistency, Credibility, Currentness, Accessibility, Compliance, Confidentiality, Efficiency, Precision, Traceability, Understandability, Availability, Portability, and Recoverability.
• Provides guidance for using the model to establish data-quality requirements and to plan or perform data-quality evaluations (to be used in conjunction with measurement-focused standards such as ISO/IEC 25024).
• Distinguishes which characteristics are primarily inherent to data, which are system-dependent, and which may be considered from either viewpoint depending on context.
• Intended as a common vocabulary and framework so organizations can map quality concerns to measurable attributes and select appropriate measures and target entities.

Typical use and users

Used by data architects, data stewards, quality assurance teams, software engineers, system integrators, and project managers to: define data quality requirements, select relevant quality characteristics, plan data-quality assessments, and align measurement activities with the SQuaRE measurement parts. It is particularly useful where structured data quality must be specified and evaluated as part of software/system development and data governance programs.

Related standards

Part of the SQuaRE (ISO/IEC 25000) family. Typically used alongside ISO/IEC 25024 (Measurement of data quality) which maps measures to the 25012 characteristics, and the broader product-quality standards such as ISO/IEC 25010. ISO/IEC 25012’s model has also informed newer data-quality work and AI/ML-focused standards (for example the newer ISO/IEC 5259 series for AI data quality).

Keywords

Data quality model; SQuaRE; ISO/IEC 25012; accuracy; completeness; consistency; credibility; currentness; accessibility; compliance; confidentiality; efficiency; precision; traceability; understandability; availability; portability; recoverability; data quality measurement.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/IEC 25012:2008 is an international standard that defines a general data-quality model (15 characteristics) for structured data within computer systems, intended to support specification, measurement and evaluation of data quality.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers a vocabulary and model of fifteen data-quality characteristics and explains how to consider them from two viewpoints (inherent vs system-dependent). It is intended to be used with measurement and evaluation parts of the SQuaRE family to implement data-quality requirements and assessments.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Data architects, data stewards, QA/test teams, software developers, system integrators and managers responsible for data governance, data integration, data exchange and quality assurance in software and information-system projects.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2008 edition (Edition 1) remains the published version; the ISO record indicates it was reviewed and confirmed (kept current) on its periodic review (confirmed in 2025), so it is not considered superseded as of the latest ISO review. For measurement guidance and implementation, use it together with ISO/IEC 25024 (2015) and consult newer related standards for AI/ML data contexts.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is part of the ISO/IEC 25000 SQuaRE series (Software product Quality Requirements and Evaluation), which groups standards for software and data quality modelling, measurement and evaluation.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Key keywords include: data quality, SQuaRE, accuracy, completeness, consistency, credibility, currentness, accessibility, compliance, confidentiality, efficiency, precision, traceability, understandability, availability, portability, recoverability.