What does "data integrity" refer to?

Data integrity refers to the accuracy and consistency of data throughout its lifecycle. This concept ensures that the data remains reliable and unaltered, making it crucial for maintaining trust in data used for decision-making, analysis, and reporting. When data integrity is upheld, data is not corrupted or erroneously changed, which allows users to rely on its correctness.

In the context of databases and information systems, data integrity involves various practices and methods, including validation rules, data cleansing, and access controls to protect against unauthorized changes. By ensuring that data remains accurate and consistent, organizations can make better decisions based on trustworthy information.

The other options pertain to different aspects of data management. While the speed of data transfer, the amount of data stored, and the accessibility of data are all important characteristics of data systems, they do not directly relate to the concept of integrity. Data integrity is fundamentally about ensuring that the information remains dependable, rather than how quickly it can be transferred or how much of it can be stored.