Databericht

Databericht is a Dutch term that translates roughly to data report. In a general sense, it refers to a document or digital artifact that communicates data findings to stakeholders. A databericht consolidates descriptions of the data, the methods used to collect and analyze it, and the resulting conclusions, along with notes on quality, limitations, and governance.

Typical contents include the data sources and scope, data collection methods, data processing steps, and variable definitions. It also covers data quality indicators such as completeness, accuracy, timeliness, and consistency; metadata describing the data lineage; and the analytical approaches or statistical methods applied. The report commonly presents results, accompanied by considerations of uncertainty and potential biases, and may end with implications, recommendations, or decisions supported by the data. In many cases the databericht also specifies access conditions, licensing, and provenance, enabling users to understand how to share or reuse the data.

Purpose and audience of a databericht vary, but it is generally aimed at policymakers, managers, researchers, or the public, providing a transparent summary that supports decision-making and accountability. A databericht can take different formats, from a standalone document (for example, a PDF or report) to an entry in a data portal or an accompanying brief for a dataset. It is part of the data governance and data management lifecycle, emphasizing reproducibility by documenting sources, methods, and, when possible, code or procedures used in the analysis.