definition
strict definition
start date
The point in time when a data value begins to describe a valid condition in the real world.
The start date for any data is the point in time when that data begins to be valid in the real world. It is naturally paired with the end date, which reflects the end of that same data's validity.
The date concerns the beginning of real-world validity. A value can be entered before that time as a projection or afterward as information about a past condition.
Together with the end date, it bounds the period for which the value applies. The input date instead identifies when the information was entered.
Related definitions
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anchor date
A time value to which the perceived validity of a particular piece of data is tied. -
end date
The point in time when a data value ceases to describe a valid condition in the real world. -
event date
The time value of any data which is treated as a point in time rather than a range. -
input date
The automatically recorded time when any data value is recorded in the database.