Provenance is the record of where production material came from and how it developed. It can connect sources, transformations, versions, decisions and the people or organisations responsible for them.
What it means in production
A useful record lets a reviewer understand the material actually delivered. It should not stop at the first generation if later work replaces a source or changes the result. Provenance supports investigation and accountability. It does not automatically prove factual truth, permission, copyright ownership or compliance. Those questions require their own evidence.
A useful question
Ask which decision or deliverable the term describes in your project, who is responsible for it and what record you will receive.
Written by Asa Bailey, director and founder of BAI-LEY.
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