Data and information are the crucial key elements of information science and information engineering. Using the concepts of information engineering and science helps to develop information systems. Data and information are the common words used in the information and health science world. This paper will help us to understand about data, information, and their relationship, and how effectively they are used in the information systems world.
Data are just facts, which are raw. The word data is plural form of the Latin word datum. According to Zins (2007), “ The word “data” is commonly used to refer to records or recordings encoded for use in computer, but is more widely used to refer to statistical observations and other recordings or collections of evidence” (p. 480). Data is collection of quantified numbers, characters and variables. Information science, Information engineering, statistical studies and other studies are not possible without data because it is the main source. Data does not has any meaning and it is raw.
Information is obtained when the raw data is processed and the unprocessed data acts as the source for information. Information gives meaning to the collection of data once it is processed. According to Coronel, Morris, & Rob (2011), “Information is the result of processing raw data to reveal its meaning” (p. 5). In a simple note, information is a meaningful facts obtained when the data are processed. Information helps or leads to obtain knowledge. Information is the foundation for good decision-making. Information is meaningless without the processing entities like contexts and facts relationships. According to Zins (2007), “Information is a set of facts with processing capability added, such as context, relationships to other facts about the same or related objects, implying an increased usefulness” (p. 484). Data and information are different and not the same. Data acts as the input for
References: Coronel, C., Morris, S., & Rob, P. (2011) Database systems: Design, Implementation, and Management (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Course Technology/Cengage Learning. Zins, C. (2007, January). Conceptual Approaches for Defining Data, Information, and Knowledge. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY, 58(4), 479-493.