The short answer
Keep DR and DA in separate columns and record their provider and observation date. They are different proprietary metrics, not interchangeable grades or a shared quality scale. Use them to frame questions about a publication rather than to certify its content or audience.
A worked example
Consider an illustrative shortlist with two supplied scores and no collection date. You can compare the values as imported observations, but you cannot honestly call either one current. A better worksheet adds publication relevance, sample articles, price and source availability. Missing source information becomes an explicit follow-up item, not a reason to invent a measurement.
A practical checklist
- Name each metric exactly as supplied. Include a provider field and an observation-date field next to it so an old report cannot silently become today's score.
- Review editorial and audience evidence independently. Describe what you observed on the publication instead of substituting a metric for that review.
- When a refreshed measurement matters, obtain it from the licensed provider or an authorized report. Preserve both old and new dates for a fair comparison.
What to avoid
Do not average DR and DA into a new authority score or present missing values as zero. This rebuild's imported scores are owner-supplied; activation makes records visible, but does not independently validate those metrics. Explain that distinction when sharing a shortlist with a client.
A useful follow-up
Can I call an imported score a live measurement?
Only if its actual provider and observation time support that description. An undated imported value should be labeled as supplied data.
