Reliability
Reliability is the degree to which a record can be trusted as an accurate and complete representation of the facts or transaction it documents, based on the competence of its author and the rigor of the process that created it.
Reliability concerns whether a record can be trusted to mean what it says at the moment of its creation. A record is reliable when it was made by a competent, authorized author, following established procedures, and captured in a complete form. Reliability is one of the core qualities of a trustworthy record, alongside authenticity, integrity, and usability, and it speaks specifically to the credibility of the record’s content as evidence.
Reliability matters because organizations and courts rely on records to prove that events occurred as documented. An unreliable record, such as a draft signed by no one or a form missing required fields, weakens accountability and evidentiary value.
Distinguish reliability from authenticity: reliability addresses whether the record was trustworthy when created, while authenticity addresses whether it remains uncorrupted and is what it claims to be over time. A purchase order completed and approved through proper workflow is reliable; verifying that the same order has not been altered since speaks to its authenticity and integrity.