Revision date

Revision date is the date a record, dataset, or publication was changed. It can refer to a corrected value, added records, updated documentation, or another modification. The date alone does not reveal what changed, whether new events were added, or whether every part of the publication was reviewed.

Identify what was revised

The Dublin Core metadata vocabulary defines a modification date separately from the date a resource was formally issued. That separation is useful for public reports that remain available through later corrections. Dublin Core date terms.

A portal may track several kinds of revision: changes to the data, changes to its description, and changes to individual records. A broad “last updated” label can hide those distinctions unless the publisher explains which object and operation it represents.

Example

Hypothetical: A city publishes a quarterly report on July 10. On July 15, it corrects a mislabeled chart axis. On July 22, it adds two incident records that were approved after the original release.

Both changes are revisions, but only the second changes the incident total. Reading “updated July 15” as evidence of more recent activity would be incorrect. A brief change note tells readers whether a revision affects the interpretation, the numbers, or only the presentation.

Common confusion

Revision date is not the date of the underlying event. A record about a January incident can be revised in March. Grouping incidents by revision date would describe update activity, not when the incidents occurred.

It is also not necessarily the date of verification. A system may update a record automatically without a person checking every field. An “updated” label should not be expanded into an unsupported claim that the whole dataset was reviewed.

A later revision does not mean the earlier release was fabricated. It can reflect routine corrections, late information, or a changed method. The explanation of the change matters more than the fact that a date moved forward.

Preserving a usable history

When a number changes materially, useful documentation identifies the affected measure, prior value where appropriate, new value, and reason. A version identifier or archived release can help readers reproduce earlier work.

If two publications disagree, compare their versions before attributing the difference to their methods. They may use the same method on different source revisions. Keep both the revision date and the data period in citations so a newly corrected historical figure is not mistaken for a measurement of current activity.

Related terms

• Publication date
• Revised data
• Data freshness
• Metadata

Sources

• Dublin Core Metadata Initiative: DCMI Metadata Terms — Distinguishes the modified and issued dates of a resource. The correction sequence is hypothetical.