Which data management artifact is used to define data field names, data types, and allowed values when creating a report?

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Defining the exact metadata for each data element—its field name, data type, and permissible values—is essential when creating a report to ensure consistency and valid data usage. The data dictionary acts as the metadata repository that specifies these details for every field, including allowed values and constraints, so analysts can format, validate, and aggregate data reliably. Because of this explicit role, it is the primary artifact used during report construction to understand and enforce how data should be represented and constrained. Data lineage describes where data comes from and how it moves and transforms, which helps with traceability but not the field-level definitions. Data flow diagrams map processes and data interactions, while data versioning tracks changes over time; neither is focused on defining the standard metadata for each field.