What is a canonical record in the context of deduplication?

• A. A single, merged record that represents the patient/case after deduplication.
• B. The most recent duplicate record kept for reference.
• C. A fenced data group used for privacy.
• D. A file containing all raw duplicates.

Answer: (A)

In deduplication, you aim for one authoritative entry per patient or case. The canonical record is that single merged entry created by combining data from all duplicates and resolving any conflicts using predefined rules. It becomes the source of truth for reporting, analysis, and linkage, while the original duplicates may be kept for audit trails but do not represent the unified view.

It’s not just keeping the most recent duplicate, and it isn’t a privacy-focused grouping or a file of raw duplicates—those don’t provide the single, reconciled, authoritative record needed after deduplication.