What is correct? - DateTimeOriginal in RAW and XMP sidecar file

[Uwe]

Hello,
perhaps this is a purely academic question. If an XMP sidecar file exists for the RAW photo, the metadata is written to the XMP sidecar file. The RAW file is not changed. However, this does not apply if, for example, the DateTimeOriginal tag is changed. In this case, both the tag in the XMP sidecar file and the tag in the RAW file are adjusted.
Is it correct, also for documentary etc. reasons, to leave the RAW file in its 'original state as it comes out of the camera' and only change the XMP file, even if this results in different time stamps/differences between RAW and XMP?
Regards, Uwe

[Mario]

IMatch always synchronizes native (EXIF, GPS, ...) and XMP metadata.
There should never be two sources of truth for metadata. Many tags in XMP, EXIF, GPS IPTC are linked and mirror each other. Many "entry-level" applications out there don't bother to synchronize properly, which always causes problems.

See: Metadata for Beginners for more info.