Source agency

The source agency is the government organization identified as originating or supplying particular information. The label should make that role clear: creating records, collecting submissions, and publishing a combined dataset are different functions. Naming the source helps readers understand the information's coverage, definitions, and chain of responsibility.

Separate the record source from the website

A dataset may be hosted on a central portal while its records come from a department. A later website may then summarize that release. USGS metadata guidance treats who collected the data and how it was processed as information that should accompany the data. USGS metadata explanation.

The domain displaying a table is therefore only one clue. The dataset description and publisher fields should identify the actual organization supplying the records and any intermediary that combines or transforms them.

Example

Hypothetical: Three fire departments send records to a county office. The county publishes a combined file on an open-data portal. A community website uses that file to calculate monthly totals.

The departments originate the incident records, the county compiles the release, the portal hosts it, and the community website creates the summary. Describing all of these roles simply as “the source” would hide useful distinctions. A clear attribution names the county dataset and its contributing departments where the documentation identifies them.

Common confusion

A source agency is not necessarily the responding agency for every event. A shared dispatch center may supply data covering responses by several departments. An agency listed in a row may also represent a reporting or administrative role rather than the sole provider of service.

The source agency is not automatically the records custodian for every associated document. The office responsible for an original report, recording, or case file may need to be identified separately.

Why source identity affects interpretation

An agency's service area may differ from a city's legal boundary. Its public release may include selected activities or omit other agencies operating in the same place. Source attribution should therefore be read alongside the coverage statement.

When multiple agencies contribute, check whether definitions and periods are aligned before combining their figures. A shared column name does not guarantee identical local coding.

A useful source line identifies the organization, exact dataset or publication, relevant version, and extraction date. If a publisher adds classifications or calculations, it should distinguish those additions from the source agency's own records. Attribution should credit the information without implying that the agency endorsed a later interpretation.

Related terms

• Data provenance
• Metadata
• Records custodian
• Reporting coverage

Sources

• U.S. Geological Survey: What are metadata? — Supports documenting who collected information and how it was produced. The multi-department chain is a hypothetical illustration of attribution roles.