An address-validation service reports that 96% of customer addresses conform to an approved postal format.

The metric demonstrates Validity because it measures whether address values conform to a defined format or standard.

Validity checks whether data satisfies specified rules concerning datatype, pattern, permitted values, ranges, or structures. Postal formatting rules might require approved postcode structure, valid country-code syntax, or required address components.

The metric does not prove that the address belongs to the correct customer. A perfectly formatted address may still be factually wrong. That would be an Accuracy problem.

DAMA-aligned government guidance defines validity in terms of conformity to expected format, type, range, and other predefined rules.

A mature address-quality program may combine validity with verification against authoritative postal reference data, duplication checks, completeness rules, and currency monitoring.

Quality scorecards should therefore label the metric precisely rather than calling the result a generic "accuracy score."

Reference Topics: DAMA-DMBOK2 Chapter 13 — Validity; Accuracy; Data Quality Metrics; Address Quality; Reference Data.

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