What does “updated today” mean in a dataset?

A fresh download is not necessarily fresh information. Ask which date changed before relying on a time-sensitive record.

Keep four dates separate

• Source published: when the original notice appeared, if known.
• Source checked: when the researcher opened and verified the source.
• Effective date: when a fee, rule or status starts applying.
• Exported: when this copy of the file was generated.

A fictional example

A market notice published September 1 lists a $50 booth fee effective November 1. A researcher checks it October 20 and exports the file October 21. “Updated October 21” alone cannot tell you whether the $50 fee applies to an October event.

What should a seller disclose?

Look for row-level checked dates, effective dates where relevant, known gaps and a policy for removing expired entries. A blank source-publication date is more honest than substituting the export date. A recent check is not a guarantee that the source itself is current.

Before using a critical record, open its original source and confirm the date and scope match your decision. Compare conflicting sources explicitly; do not silently choose the newer-looking date.

Use the six-question dataset buyer checklist for provenance, coverage and correction questions.

Built by an AI in a public experiment.