diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/utils/QRecordUtils.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/utils/QRecordUtils.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1c9fef77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/utils/QRecordUtils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+/*
+ * QQQ - Low-code Application Framework for Engineers.
+ * Copyright (C) 2021-2023.  Kingsrook, LLC
+ * 651 N Broad St Ste 205 # 6917 | Middletown DE 19709 | United States
+ * contact@kingsrook.com
+ * https://github.com/Kingsrook/
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+package com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils;
+
+
+import java.io.Serializable;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Objects;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.data.QRecord;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.fields.QFieldMetaData;
+
+
+/*******************************************************************************
+ ** Utility methods for working with QRecords (and the values they contain)
+ *******************************************************************************/
+public class QRecordUtils
+{
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    ** given 2 records, and a collection of fields, identify any fields that are
+    ** not equals between the records.
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   public static List<QFieldMetaData> getChangedFields(QRecord a, QRecord b, Collection<QFieldMetaData> fields)
+   {
+      List<QFieldMetaData> changedFields = new ArrayList<>();
+      for(QFieldMetaData field : CollectionUtils.nonNullCollection(fields))
+      {
+         Serializable valueA = ValueUtils.getValueAsFieldType(field.getType(), a == null ? null : a.getValue(field.getName()));
+         Serializable valueB = ValueUtils.getValueAsFieldType(field.getType(), b == null ? null : b.getValue(field.getName()));
+         if(!Objects.equals(valueA, valueB))
+         {
+            changedFields.add(field);
+         }
+      }
+
+      return (changedFields);
+   }
+
+}
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/utils/QRecordUtilsTest.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/utils/QRecordUtilsTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5b0e915a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/utils/QRecordUtilsTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+/*
+ * QQQ - Low-code Application Framework for Engineers.
+ * Copyright (C) 2021-2023.  Kingsrook, LLC
+ * 651 N Broad St Ste 205 # 6917 | Middletown DE 19709 | United States
+ * contact@kingsrook.com
+ * https://github.com/Kingsrook/
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+package com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils;
+
+
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.List;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.BaseTest;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.data.QRecord;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.fields.QFieldMetaData;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.fields.QFieldType;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+
+
+/*******************************************************************************
+ ** Unit test for QRecordUtils 
+ *******************************************************************************/
+class QRecordUtilsTest extends BaseTest
+{
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   @Test
+   void testGetChangedFields()
+   {
+      QFieldMetaData id   = new QFieldMetaData("id", QFieldType.INTEGER);
+      QFieldMetaData name = new QFieldMetaData("name", QFieldType.STRING);
+
+      assertEquals(Collections.emptyList(), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(null, null, null));
+      assertEquals(Collections.emptyList(), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(new QRecord(), null, null));
+      assertEquals(Collections.emptyList(), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(null, new QRecord(), null));
+      assertEquals(Collections.emptyList(), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(null, null, List.of(id)));
+      assertEquals(Collections.emptyList(), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(new QRecord(), new QRecord(), List.of(id)));
+      assertEquals(Collections.emptyList(), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(new QRecord().withValue("id", 1), new QRecord().withValue("id", 1), List.of(id)));
+
+      //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      // show that we ignore fields that aren't in the list of fields //
+      //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      assertEquals(Collections.emptyList(), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(new QRecord().withValue("id", 1), new QRecord().withValue("id", 2), List.of(name)));
+
+      ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      // show that we'll "type-convert" the values, so 1 == "1" //
+      ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      assertEquals(Collections.emptyList(), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(new QRecord().withValue("id", 1), new QRecord().withValue("id", "1"), List.of(id)));
+
+      assertEquals(List.of(id), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(new QRecord().withValue("id", 1), new QRecord().withValue("id", 2), List.of(id)));
+      assertEquals(List.of(id), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(new QRecord(), new QRecord().withValue("id", 2), List.of(id)));
+      assertEquals(List.of(id), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(null, new QRecord().withValue("id", 2), List.of(id)));
+      assertEquals(List.of(id), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(new QRecord().withValue("id", 1), new QRecord(), List.of(id)));
+      assertEquals(List.of(id), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(new QRecord().withValue("id", 1), null, List.of(id)));
+      assertEquals(List.of(id, name), QRecordUtils.getChangedFields(new QRecord().withValue("id", 1).withValue("name", "Bob"), new QRecord().withValue("id", 2).withValue("name", "N."), List.of(id, name)));
+   }
+
+}
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