Data and Information

Data and Information

Data refer to facts. Data can be not only numeric but also text, image, or voice.

Word information (as commonly used) is a very imprecise term with several common ideas:

• It is the processed data
• It has an element of surprise value 
• It has a value in the decision-making process.

Information refers to data having meaning within a given context i.e. useful or relevant data. Information can be defined as:

"It is the data that has been processed into a form which is meaningful to the recipient, and is of real or perceived value in current or prospective decisions".

Data are more than the raw material of information systems. The concept of data resources has been broadened by managers and information system professionals. They realize that data constitute valuable organizational resources. Thus, you should view data, as data resources that must be managed effectively to benefit all end users in an organization.

The data resources of information systems are typically organized into: 

• Data bases that hold processed and organized data.
• Knowledge bases that hold, knowledge in a variety of forms such as facts, rules, and case examples about successful business practices. 

For example, data about sales transactions may be accumulated, processed, and stored in a web-enabled sales database that can be accessed for sales analysis report by managers and marketing professionals. Knowledge basis are used by knowledge management systems and expert systems to share knowledge or given expert advice on specific subjects.