Informationsbasis

Informationsbasis refers to the foundational set of information used as the basis for analysis, decision making, and communication within a system or organization. In German-speaking contexts, the term emphasizes that conclusions are only as reliable as the information they rest on. An Informationsbasis typically includes data, facts, and contextual metadata deemed authoritative for a specific task, along with the sources and conditions under which the information was produced.

Its elements include data items, their sources, data quality characteristics (such as accuracy, completeness, and timeliness), metadata and provenance, and governance rules that regulate access, versioning, and privacy. The concept also reflects the scope and boundaries of the information used: what is included, what is excluded, and how relevant the information is to the problem at hand.

Constructing an Informationsbasis involves data collection or acquisition, data cleaning and normalization, integration of heterogeneous sources, and the establishment of metadata and lineage. Good practice emphasizes transparency of sources, traceability of transformations, and ongoing quality assurance. The Informationsbasis is distinct from knowledge or models derived from it, although it provides the raw material for reasoning, simulations, reporting, and training those models.

Applications include decision-support systems, policy analysis, risk assessment, business intelligence, and journalistic or research reporting. In information systems, the Informationsbasis underpins dashboards, analytics, and evidence-based conclusions. Challenges include maintaining data quality over time, managing biases and uncertainties, protecting privacy, ensuring data governance, and keeping track of versioning and provenance as information evolves.

Related concepts include data basis, information base, and Wissensbasis (knowledge base).