Which concept describes the origin and movement of data through systems from source to destination?

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Data lineage is about the origin and movement of data through systems from source to destination, including the transformations and steps it undergoes along the way. This provenance view lets you see where data comes from, how it changes as it passes through ETL processes or pipelines, and where it ends up, which is essential for auditing, impact analysis, and data governance.

A data dictionary describes data elements, definitions, and metadata, but it doesn’t track where data originates or how it flows. A data flow diagram shows how data moves between processes and stores at a high level, yet it doesn’t consistently capture the full lineage of individual data items or all transformations. A data explainability report isn’t a standard term for tracing data origins and movement, so it doesn’t convey provenance in the same way.