Record linkage (RL) refers to the task of finding records in a data set that refer to the same entity across different data sources (e.g., data files, books, websites, databases). Record linkage is necessary when joining data sets based on entities that may or may not share a common identifier (e.g., database key, URI, National identification number), as may be the case due to differences in record shape, storage location, and/or curator style or preference. A data set that has undergone RL-oriented reconciliation may be referred to as being cross-linked. Record Linkage is called Data Linkage in many jurisdictions, but is the same process.
Read more about Record Linkage: History, Naming Conventions, Mathematical Model, Criticism of Existing Software Implementations
Famous quotes containing the word record:
“All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. In this—as in other ways—they are the opposite of paintings. Paintings record what the painter remembers. Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it.”
—John Berger (b. 1926)