Thomas Janovic
Info Tech
Week 1: Task 3
Information Concepts: Data, Information, Knowledge, and their Processes
When I hear the words data, information, and knowledge, I automatically throw them into the same category due to the fact that the words are so similar in nature. Especially in the world of business, data and information go hand in hand so often they are thought of as meaning the same thing. However upon further scrutiny, these words can be quite different in specific ways, each having their own precise definition. In this paper I will start to identify the similarities and differences between these commonly used words and describe the processes in which they are engaged.
The actual definition of data, as Wikipedia.com puts it, is “qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables.”[1] When I think of the word data, I see sets of numbers racing across the computer screen like that movie, The Matrix. However, data doesn’t always have to be numbers. Nor is there only one type of data. “Raw data, i.e. unprocessed data, refers to a collection of numbers, characters, images or other outputs from devices that collect information to convert physical quantities into symbols.”[2] Put simply, other certain types of data include image data, audio data, video data, and alphanumeric data (numbers, letters, ect).
Information is the next step in the process of how data, information, and knowledge all fit together. For data to take on any meaning in our lives, we should be able to extract information from it. This grants data a much higher meaning beyond its numeric value. This data is now transformed into an idea in our minds, or information if you will. Information can be defined as “data that has been interpreted so that it has meaning for the user.”[3] So you see, data are the raw facts taken from any specific medium, which can be interpreted in any given fashion to produce a piece of information. Now that we have this information, we are on to knowledge.
“Knowledge is what we know. Think of this as the map of the World we build inside our brains. Like a physical map, it helps us know where things are – but it contains more than that. It also contains our beliefs and expectations. “If I do this, I will probably get that.” Crucially, the brain links all these things together into a giant network of ideas, memories, predictions, beliefs, etc.”[4] Data and information are the first two processes in which our brain utilizes to create knowledge. Knowledge comes third in the process after data is turned into information. However, for something to be considered as knowledge there must be methods in which the data or information is patterned to create truth or it has to be undisputable. Nobody can consider something to be a piece of knowledge if there is even a slight chance that information is erroneous. Taking the time to extricate the facts not needed in whatever endeavor you might be on is a fantastic way to use knowledge to process data to information.
To provide a conclusive understanding it always helps to hear an overall example of the processes. An example online goes as follows “the height of Mt. Everest is generally considered as "data", a book on Mt. Everest geological characteristics may be considered as "information", and a report containing practical information on the best way to reach Mt. Everest's peak may be considered as "knowledge". [5] In conclusion, hopefully we have a better understanding of what these words mean and the processes by which each can be put together to achieve a goal.
WORK CITED
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data, DATA
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data, Meaning of Data, information and knowledge
3. http://searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com/feature/Defining-data-information-and-knowledge Defining data, information, and knowledge
4. http://www.infogineering.net/data-information-knowledge.htm, The Difference Between data, Information, and Knowledge.
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data
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