Data profiling is the detailed examination of the structure, relationships and content of existing information sources to help create an accurate picture of the state of corporate data.

There are three essential  components of a data profiling discovery exercise that, when combined, create a clear picture of the nature and scope of potential data quality issues:

Structure – Do the data patterns match expected patterns? Does the data match the corresponding metadata?

Data – Are the data values complete, accurate and unambiguous? Is the data standardised according to established conventions?

Relationship – Does the data adhere to specified required key relationships across columns and tables? Are there inferred relationships across columns, tables or databases? Is there redundant data?