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 interpreted. Data comes in figures, dates and numbers and is not processed.
Examples of Data
1. Student Data on Admission Forms: When students get admission in a college. They fill admission form. This form contains raw facts (data of student) like name, father’s name, address of student etc.
2. Data of Citizens: During census, data of all citizens is collected.
3. Survey Data: Different companies collect data by survey to know the opinion of people about their product.
4. Students Examination Data: In examination data about obtained marks of different subjects for all students is collected.
Information
Information is processed data. Data does not depend upon information but information depends upon data. Data and information are interrelated. 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.
Examples of Information
1. Student Address Labels: Stored data of students can be used to print address labels of students.
2. Census Report: Census data is used to get report/information about total population of a country and literacy rate etc.
3. Survey Reports and Results: Survey data is summarized into reports/information to present to management of the company.
4. Result Cards of Individual Students: In examination system collected data (obtained marks in each subject) is processed to get total obtained marks of a student. Total obtained marks are Information. It is also used to prepare result card of a student.
5. Merit List: After collecting admission forms from candidates, merit is calculated on the basis of obtained marks of each candidate. All the candidates names are arranged in descending order by percentage. This makes a merit list. Merit list is used to decide whether a candidate will get admission in the college or not.
Examples of Data and Information
1. The history of temperature readings all over the world for the past 100 years is data. If this data is organized and analyzed to find that global temperature is rising, then that is information.
2. The number of visitors to a website by country is an example of data. Finding out that traffic from the U.S. is increasing while that from Australia is decreasing is meaningful information.
3. Data is required to back up a claim or conclusion (information) derived or deduced from it. For example, before a drug is approved by the FDA, the manufacturer must conduct clinical trials and present a lot of data to demonstrate that the drug is safe.
Key Differences
1. Data is the input language for a computer and information is the output language for human.
2. Data is unprocessed facts or mere figures but information is processed data.
3. Data does not depend on information but information depends on data and without it, information cannot be processed.
4. Data is the raw material that is collected but information is a detailed meaning generated from the data.
Edited by: 浪子
Bibliography
Data vs Information. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.diffen.com/difference/Data_vs_Information
Difference Between Data and Information. (2015).
Retrieved from https://www.differencebtw.com/difference-between-data-and-information/
Computer Hope. (2018). What is the Difference Between Data and Information?
Retrieved from https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001629.htm
The Difference Between Data and Information
Reviewed by 浪子
on
November 23, 2019
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Reviewed by 浪子
on
November 23, 2019
Rating:
