Definition

Information that documents the history of a described object and related described activities, and that contains information about the origin or source of the described object, any changes that can have taken place since it was originated, and who has had custody of it since it was originated

Usage Note

For scientific assertions/claims, this is the process history leading to the assertion being made, including the processes through which evidence is evaluated and the methods through which information used as evidence is created. The transitive nature of provenance means that the provenance history of information used as supporting data becomes provenance for an assertion that uses this information as evidence. Provenance metadata describes these processes, including accounts of who conducted them, what entities participated, and when/where they occurred.