Tip: Optional vs. Required Data Fields





Number

0008

Submitting Entities

ALL

Add Date

Mar 1, 2019

Update Date

 Nov 15, 2023

Update

Included in Nov data tips email

Description

If a data field is identified as optional in the data request element list, SEs were not required to submit data for that field. Some SEs submitted data for optional fields but there is no guarantee that data coverage is complete. Also, optional fields are not checked for data quality so the data within these fields could be incorrect. Use with caution.

Action / Resolution

Category 1

DSG

Category 2

Field coverage

Tip / Issue

Tip