Information about the currentness of a data set (that is, information
about how "up-to-date" is a data set) is important to many, if not most,
potential users. Most users are interested in the currentness of a data
set related to the "ground condition" (that is, when the "real world"
looked the way it is described in the data set). Unfortunately, sometimes
only the time that the information was recorded or published is known.
The Currentness Reference element requires the producer to identify if
the Time Period of Content dates and times refer to the ground condition,
derived from some source, or refer to some later time when the information
was recorded, published, etc.
Currentness Reference