In determining validity during an audit, the focus is primarily on what characteristic of the data?

In the context of auditing, determining the validity of data is fundamentally centered on the legitimacy of the transactions captured in the records. Validity, in this case, refers to whether the data is legitimate and compliant with applicable laws, regulations, and organizational policies. This is crucial in ensuring that the transactions represented in the financial statements or reports genuinely occurred and are not fabricated or erroneous.

When auditors assess the legitimacy of transactions, they verify whether the data corresponds to actual events and conforms to expected norms. This entails examining supporting documentation and ensuring that all transactions are documented appropriately and authorized according to internal controls.

While the source of the data, relevance of the data, and accuracy of the records are all important characteristics to consider during an audit, they relate more to different aspects of data integrity. The source pertains to where the data came from and its reliability, relevance deals with how pertinent the data is to the specific audit objectives, and accuracy involves the correctness of the data entries. However, none of these other factors can fully address whether the transactions represented are legitimate, making legitimacy the primary focus in assessing validity.