data inconsistency Let's look at the available options and see what makes or does not make sense. data normalization * Data normalization is the process of having each piece of data in the database entered only once. If you need the same data element multiple times, you put the data element into a table and each time you need that element, you make a reference to that table which holds the only copy of that piece of data. This process is used to simplify making changes to that data element. If the element changes, you make the change to a single piece of data in the database and that change is reflected everywhere else in the database that uses that element. That's not the issue with this problem, so it's a bad choice. data accuracy * Close, but not quite. The data in the database is accurate and does have the correct address and a correct variant of the person's name. So this isn't the right choice either. data redundancy * This is a problem that addressed by data normalization. And just like data normalization doesn't address this question's problem, neither does this address it. So another bad choice. data inconsistency * BINGO! The root issue is that minor variations in the format of a name result in what the database considers to be an unique name. And hence an unique person. This is the correct choice. data duplication * Another name for redundancy. So another bad choice.