Data, information, knowledge and processing_4

Data, information, knowledge and processing_4

1. Data

   • Unprocessed, raw facts and figures that have no meaning
   • Letters, characters, numbers, symbols, images, light and sounds
   • E.g. the data 020580 is meaningless
     • It could be a DOB, a map reference, product code etc

2. Information

   • Information=data+structure+context+meaning
   • Structure; when data is presented
     • E.g. 210426 is the data, 21/04/26 is the structure
   • Context; avoids different interpretations of data
     • E..g 21/04/26 can be a European date
   • Meaning; information becomes useful
     • E.g. 21/04/26 is Queen Elizabeth II's DOB

3. Data Methods

   • Text
     • A: explanations can be given, clear and explicit and can be read in a noisy environment D: language barriers, difficult to explain without image or video use, useless for the blind and can take a long time for a person to process
   • Pictures
     • A: no language barriers, can be viewed easily when noisy D: ambiguous meaning, cannot give explanations or instructions
   • LED
     • A: take up little space, cheap, very little power needed D: on their own do not mean anything, need to be up close to see them
   • Videos
     • A: can include both sound and video, explains exactly how something works D: requires screen and speakers, time consuming, not totally effective for blind or deaf people
   • Animation
     • A: convey effective meaning, no language barriers D: only shows steps/frames, does not include sound
   • Sound
     • A: grab people's attention, effective for the blind, does not distract eyes D: not effective for deaf people, difficult to hear in noisy environment

4. Knowledge

   • Knowledge=the application of information to a situation
   • Relies upon a person having information and using their knowledge base to understand what the information means

5. Types of data

   • String
     • Set/list of letters, symbols, characters and/or numbers
   • Interger
     • Whole numbers
   • Real
     • Numbers involving decimal places
   • Date/Time
     • Using the date/time
   • Boolean
     • One of two values; true/false; yes/no

6. Direct sources of data

   • It does not matter where the data was collected from, it's about the reason the data was collected
   • E.g. ferry crossing times and prices Reason: to decide which Ferry to catch Reason used: to decide which Ferry to catch
   • A: data collected is the data needed, original source can be trusted D: costly, take time, if statistical data is needed then a large enough sample may not be provided

7. Indirect sources of data

   • Originally the data will have been collected for one reason but the data that already exists is now being used for an entirely different reason
     • A: no need to wait for the data, use of various different sources, provides large sample of data D: may not meet all needs, may be out of date, may no tbe trustworthy, only summary info, biased, difficultly presented
   • E.g. names and addresses Reason: for the electoral roll so that residents can vote Reason used: by legal firms attempting to identify where a person entitled to an inheritance lives

8. Static vs Dynamic Data

   • Static: more likely to be accurate, limited, always in the same place, books cannot contain viruses, can take a while to obtain, become out of date very quickly, can only be used by one person at a time, all info may not be accessible
   • Dynamic: may contain errors, anyone can upload info online, good chance of finding info needed although not all may be relevant, viruses, network connection needed, hyperlinks

9. GIGO

   • Accuracy; data must be correct
   • Relevance; must be relevant for purpose
   • Age; must be up to date for purpose
   • Completeness; all data required is available
   • Presentation; must be clear and easy to understand
   • Level of detail; combination of relevance and completeness

10. Encoding

    • Data that is replaced with shorter data
    • Numerical; words/descriptions replaced with numbers
    • Abbreviations; replacing words/descriptions with letters that are related
    • Value judgements; used in questionnaires when a respondent is asked what they think about a particular thing
    • A: less storage, speed of processing data is increased, speed of input is increased, data can be validated easily, can be presented in a tabular format, can be kept confidential D: some codes lead to difficulties when interpreting, error may occur, some data can be lost when transferring, codes have to be unique, different value judgements may be given

11. Methods of checking input data

    • Range check; ensure data is within an acceptable range
    • Type check; check to see if data is correct type
    • Length check; ensures that data is a minimum, maximum or specific length
    • Picture/format check; ensure that data entered matches a particular pattern
    • Presence check; ensures data has been entered for a particular field
    • Lookup in list; validation routine checks to see if the data entered exists in a list
    • Check digit; an extra digit added to the end of main data which is the result of a calculation carried out on the original data
    • Accuracy; reduce input errors

12. Verification methods

    • Double entry; asking for data to be entered twice
    • Proof reading; "manual verification"
    • Accuracy; reduces errors BUT it cannot ensure data is correct

13. Backing up/archiving data

    • Backing up; copy of data in case original is lost or damaged
    • Archiving data; moving data rather than copying it

14. Costs

    • Hardware is required to collect or produce information
    • Software is required to produce info which will include the collection and processing of data
    • Consumable costs, when the product is used
    • Personnel costs which are people who are needed to collect and produce info

15. Data system

    • Data is INPUT into a computer system, that data is processed, it is then stored during or after processing, data may need to be retrieved from storage, information is OUTPUT by the computer system, sometimes the info that is output will affect the data that is input (feedback)