Which best describes the role of a data steward in an integration context?

In the context of data integration, a data steward plays a crucial role in ensuring that data is accurate, consistent, and trustworthy across various systems and processes. The primary responsibility of a data steward is to maintain data quality and integrity, which involves overseeing data governance practices, implementing standards for data management, and monitoring data usage to ensure compliance with those standards.

Data stewards are instrumental in identifying data quality issues, defining metrics to measure data integrity, and facilitating data cleansing efforts when necessary. They also collaborate with other stakeholders to establish data definitions, data lineage, and ownership, thereby promoting a culture of accountability concerning data assets within the organization. By prioritizing data stewardship, organizations can ensure that their integration efforts yield reliable and actionable insights.

In contrast, the other options describe different functions related to data and integration but do not encompass the core responsibilities of a data steward. Networking across systems, creating APIs, or analyzing data for insights are important activities within data management and integration, yet they do not specifically refer to the stewardship role focused on data quality and governance.