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Assign authentic source

In this guide

Overview
Assign an authentic source
Manage authentic source labels

Overview​

Assign authentic source labels to specific fields in your dataset's data dictionary to indicate which source is the most reliable and authoritative for that information. This establishes clear data governance standards and helps data users identify the most trustworthy source when the same data element appears in multiple datasets.

When to use authentic source: When data is collected from multiple sources, certain sources may be more reliable than others for specific fields. By assigning an authentic source label, you provide clear guidance to data users about which source to trust for particular information. This helps prevent data duplication and inconsistencies.

For example: A researcher needs demographic data including age, gender, and address. Address information may appear in multiple datasets—a clinic registration database, a government ID database, and an employment database. Each may contain different addresses depending on when and how the data was collected. By assigning the government ID database as the authentic source for the address field, you indicate to the researcher that this is the most reliable source for address information.

How authentic source works:

  • Can only be assigned to published datasets
  • Applied at the field level within the data dictionary of a dataset
  • Persists even if a dataset is unpublished (reverted to its Approved state) or deprecated—authentic source labels remain until you manually remove them while the dataset is in Published state.

Assign an authentic source​

To assign authentic source labels, you must be a Catalogue Manager or have the permission to assign authentic source. Check your permissions.

  1. Ensure the dataset is in Published state, or publish it if needed.

  2. Select View on the dataset you want to assign an authentic source to.

  3. Select the Data Dictionary tab. The data fields appear in table form.

  4. Select the toggle under the Authentic Source column of the field you want to assign an authentic source to. The label field for entering the authentic source appears.

  5. Enter the name and description of the organisation or entity that is the authentic source for this field. In this example, we enter National Telecom Registry as the authentic source for the Phone number field.

Screenshot of assigning an authentic source label to a data dictionary field

You can assign different authentic sources to different fields within the same dataset. In this example, you can assign a different authentic source for the Entity code field.

  1. Select Create Label. The authentic source label is now assigned to the field and appears in the data dictionary.
Label persistence

Authentic source labels remain even if the dataset is unpublished or deprecated. Deprecated datasets are no longer usable, while unpublished datasets can only be reverted to the Approved state, preserving the label and overall dataset integrity. To remove authentic source labels, you must manually turn them off in the data dictionary while they are in Published state.

Manage authentic source labels​

After you create authentic source labels, you can edit them or turn them on or off as needed.

  1. Go to the Published tab and open the dataset containing the authentic source label you want to manage.

  2. Select the Data Dictionary tab.

  3. Locate the field with the authentic source label you want to manage.

  4. Select the toggle to turn off or turn on the authentic source assignment for that field.

Well done

After you assign authentic source labels, data users can identify which sources provide the most reliable information for specific data elements. This supports better data governance and helps users make informed decisions about which datasets to use for their research or analysis.