Data and Information
Research Methodology
There is a subtle difference between
data and information. Data are the facts
or details from which information is
derived. Individual pieces of data are
rarely useful alone. For data to become
information, data needs to be put into
context.
Data VS Information
Information
Time
Date12:05:57
Money
12/05/57 120,557
120557
Data
Data
Data
The word data is derived from Latin language. It is plural of
Datum. Data is any collection of facts of figures.
Example
Names of students, marks obtained in the examination,
designation of employees, addresses, quantity, rate, sales
figures or anything that is input to the computer is data.
Even pictures, photographs, drawings, charts and maps can
be treated as data. Computer processes the data and
produces the output or result
Data
Before one can present and interpret information,
there has to be a process of gathering and sorting
data. Just as trees are the raw material from which
paper is produced, so too, can data be viewed as
the raw material from which information is obtained.
In fact, a good definition of data is "facts or figures
from which conclusions can be drawn".
Data:
Data is the raw material that is to be processed for
information or for collection of details. It is
unorganized data or facts that are to be processed.
Data is plain fact and it has to be processed for
further information. Data is useless unless it is
processed or has been made into something. Data
has no meaning when it has not been interpreted.
Data comes in figures, dates and numbers and is
not processed.
Data can take various forms, but are often
numerical. As such, data can relate to an
enormous variety of aspects, for example:
the daily weight measurements of each
individual in your classroom;
the number of movie rentals per month for
each household in your neighbourhood;
the city's temperature (measured every hour)
for a one-week period.
Figure 1. Data collected on the weight of 20 individuals in your classroom
Data Information Statistics
5 individuals in the 20-to-
20 kg, 25 kg 25-kg range Mean weight = 22.5 kg
15 individuals in the 26-to-
28 kg, 30 kg, etc. 30-kg range Median weight = 28 kg
Data
Think of data as a "raw material" - it needs to be processed before
it can be turned into something useful. Hence the need for "data
processing". Data comes in many forms - numbers, words,
symbols. Data relates to transactions, events and facts. On its
own - it is not very useful.
Think of the data that is created when you buy a product from a
retailer. This includes:
- Time and date of transaction (e.g. 10:05 Tuesday 23 December
20X3)
- Transaction value (e.g. £55.00)
- Facts about what was bought (e.g. hairdryer, cosmetics pack,
shaving foam) and how much was bought (quantities)
- How payment was made (e.g. credit card, credit card number
and code)
- Which employee recorded the sale
- Whether any promotional discount applied
At its simplest, this data needs processing at
the point of sale in order for the customer to
receive a valid receipt. So the data about the
transaction is processed to create
"information" - in this case a receipt. You can
imagine that the same data would also be
useful to the manager of the retail store. For
example, a report showing total sales in the
day, or which are the best-selling products.
So the data concerning all shop transactions
in the day needs to be captured, and then
processed into a management report.
Once data have been collected and
processed, they are ready to be organized
into information. Indeed, it is hard to imagine
reasons for collecting data other than to
provide information. This information leads to
knowledge about issues, and helps
individuals and groups make informed
decisions.
Information
A collection of data which conveys some meaningful idea is information.
It may provide answers to questions like who, which, when, why, what,
and how.
or
Observations and recordings are done to obtain data, while analysis is
done to obtain information
Information:
Information is processed data. The data that can be made
useful is known as information. Information is basically the
data plus the meaning of what the data was collected for.
Data does not depend upon information but information
depends upon data. It cannot be generated without the
help of data. Information is something that is being
conveyed. Information is meaningful when data is gathered
and meaning is generated. Information cannot be
generated without the help of data. Information is the
meaning that has been formed with the help of data and
that meaning makes sense because of the data that has
been collected against the word. Information is processed
and comes in a meaningful form.
Information
A good definition of information is "data that have
been recorded, classified, organized, related, or
interpreted within a framework so that meaning
emerges".
Information, like data, can take various forms. Some
examples of the different types of information that
can be derived from data include:
the number of persons in a group in each weight
category (20 to 25 kg, 26 to 30 kg, etc.);
the number of days during the week where the
temperature went above 20°C.
Information
The above example demonstrates what information is.
Information is data that has been processed in such
a way as to be meaningful to the person who
receives it.
Note the two words - "processed" and "meaningful". It is
not enough for data simply to be processed. it has to be
of use to someone - otherwise why bother?!
Uses of Information in a Business
Businesses and other organisations need information for
many purposes
Use Description
To plan properly, a business needs to
know what resources it has (e.g.
cash, people, machinery and
equipment, property, customers). It
also needs information about the
Planning
markets in which it operates and the
actions of competitors. At the
planning stage, information is
important as a key ingredient in
decision-making.
Information about each transaction or
event is needed. Much of this is
required to be collected by law - e.g.
Recording details of financial transactions. Just
as importantly, information needs to
be recorded so that the business can
be properly managed.
Once a business has produced its
plan it needs to monitor progress
against the plan - and control
resources to do so. So information is
Controlling
needed to help identify whether things
are going better or worse than
expected, and to spot ways in which
corrective action can be taken
Performance must be measured for a
business to be successful. Information
is used as the main way of measuring
Measuring
performance. For example, this can
be done by collecting and analysing
information on sales, costs and profits
makingInformation used for decision-making is often
categorised into three types:
(1) Strategic information: used to help plan the
objectives of the business as a whole and to measure
how well those objectives are being achieved.
Examples of strategic information include:
- Profitability of each part of the business
- Size, growth and competitive structure of the markets
in which a business operates
- Investments made by the business and the returns
(e.g. profits, cash inflows) from those investments
(2) Tactical Information: this is used to decide how the
resources of the business should be employed.
Examples include:
- Information about business productivity (e.g. units
produced per employee; staff turnover)
- Profit and cash flow forecasts in the short term
- Pricing information from the market
(3) Operational Information: this information is used to
make sure that specific operational tasks are carried out
as planned/intended (i.e. things are done properly). For
example, a production manager will want information
about the extent and results of quality control checks
that are being carried out in the manufacturing process.
Statistics
Statistics represent a common method of
presenting information. In general, statistics relate
to numerical data, and can refer to the science of
dealing with the numerical data itself. Above all,
statistics aim to provide useful information by
means of numbers.
Therefore, a good definition of statistics is "a type
of information obtained through mathematical
operations on numerical data".
Information Statistics
the number of persons in a group in each
weight category (20 to 25 kg, 26 to 30 kg, the average weight of students in your class
etc.);
the minimum number of rentals your
the total number of households that did not household had to make to be in the top 5%
rent a movie during the last month; and of renters for the last month; and
the number of days during the week where the minimum and maximum temperature
the temperature went above 20°C. observed each day of the week
