Standardization
Standardization is the process of making data consistent across a dataset. It involves ensuring that formats, and structures are uniform. For example, it can include formatting text to lowercase or aligning dates to a common format.
Standardization improves accuracy by eliminating inconsistencies in the data. It makes it easier to compare and combine records. Avoid standardizing data in cases where the original format is necessary, such as for legal records, audits, or detailed historical tracking .