What should be included in a lineage matrix to support data governance?

What should be included in a lineage matrix to support data governance?

• A. Sources, transformations, and destinations for each field.
• B. No need for lineage.
• C. Anonymous data mapping.
• D. Only the destination tables.

Answer: (A)

In data governance, you need to know the full path of every data element. The lineage matrix should capture where each field comes from (sources), what happens to it along the way (transformations), and where it ends up (destinations). This end-to-end view lets you trace data from origin to output, understand how changes propagate, and assess impact, accountability, and quality across systems. It also supports regulatory and privacy requirements by showing provenance and data handling practices. Why this approach is best: recording sources, transformations, and destinations gives complete visibility into data flows, enabling accurate impact analysis, troubleshooting, and governance controls. Simply omitting lineage ignores provenance and makes it impossible to verify accuracy or compliance. Mapping only destinations provides no context about origins or the steps applied to the data, and anonymous mapping strips away important traceability and responsibility.

In data governance, you need to know the full path of every data element. The lineage matrix should capture where each field comes from (sources), what happens to it along the way (transformations), and where it ends up (destinations). This end-to-end view lets you trace data from origin to output, understand how changes propagate, and assess impact, accountability, and quality across systems. It also supports regulatory and privacy requirements by showing provenance and data handling practices.

Why this approach is best: recording sources, transformations, and destinations gives complete visibility into data flows, enabling accurate impact analysis, troubleshooting, and governance controls. Simply omitting lineage ignores provenance and makes it impossible to verify accuracy or compliance. Mapping only destinations provides no context about origins or the steps applied to the data, and anonymous mapping strips away important traceability and responsibility.