single source of truth
SING-gul SORSS of TROOTH
ˈsɪŋɡəl sɔːrs əv truːθListen
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Syllable breakdown
Dictionary meaning
a practice in data management and information architecture of designating one authoritative, trusted system or dataset as the definitive record for a given piece of information, so that all parts of the organization use the same data; prevents the proliferation of conflicting numbers across different reports and systems; a data warehouse or data catalog often serves as the single source of truth; abbreviated SSOT
History and origin
English — popularized in software engineering and information management in the 1990s–2000s; the phrase is also used in philosophy but carries a specific technical meaning in data contexts
Examples
- The company designated its CRM as the single source of truth for customer data, eliminating conflicting records.
- Without a single source of truth, every department had a different number for total revenue.
Synonyms: SSOT, authoritative data source, golden record
Pronunciation tips
Abbreviated SSOT. It is both an aspiration and a technical architecture pattern. The 'truth' is the agreed-upon, validated version of data.
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