Topics 1-4

Topics 1-4

1. 1: DATA INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE

   • ENCODING DATA
     • faster to input coded data
     • less typing so less likelihood of RSI
     • data takes less space
     • coarsens data
     • sometimes relies on value judgements
   • DATA CAN ARISE FROM
     • automatically taken environmental measurements
     • results of a survey
     • results from an experiment
     • business transactions
     • output from a management information system
   • DATA: raw facts and figures with no meaning
   • INFORMATION: consists of processed data or data with a context
   • KNOWLEDGE: derived from information by applying rules to it

2. 2: VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION

   • COSTS OF GOOD QUALITY INFORMATION
     • DATA COLLECTION COSTS
       • financial - cost of design of questionnaire
       • human resource - cost of training
       • time cost - collecting data from customers
     • DATA ENTRY COSTS
       • financial - cost of typing
       • time costs - time taken to key in data
       • human resource cost - training
     • PROCESSING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS
       • financial - cost of paying analysis staff
       • time cost - time to analyse data to produce results
       • human resource cost - cost of training

3. 3: QUALITY OF INFORMATION

   • EXAMPLES OF INFORMATION A MANAGER MIGHT NEED FROM THE INTERNET
     • tax information to reduce tax bills
     • information about competitors
     • details of laws and regulations businesses might adhere to
     • auppliers information
     • statistical information for planning
     • details of venues for courses/meetings
   • QUALITY OF INFORMATION
     • accuracy
       • no costly mistakes
       • correct decisions more likely
     • easy-to-understand
       • well presented
       • readable
     • relevance
       • no wasted time producing
       • no wasted time reading
     • up-to-date
       • DP act
       • accuracy
     • targeted
       • very specific
       • more precise
     • user confidence
       • users will use info
       • users believe info is correct
   • HOW TO FIND INFORMATION
     • ON-LINE SOURCES
       • internet
       • intranet
     • CD-ROM
     • NON ICT SOURCES
       • paper invoices, bank statements, etc
       • reports
       • directories
       • letters
       • journals

4. 4: VALIDATION AND VERIFICATION

   • WHEN DATA ERRORS OCCUR
     • TRANSCRIPTION
       • incorrectly marked forms
       • keying in errors
     • INPUT
       • reduced by no human involvement
       • impossible to eliminate
     • PROCESSING
       • programming errors
       • incorrect formulae
       • processing wrong data
     • TRANSMISSION
       • detect errors and re-send
       • parity checks
   • VALIDATION
     • PERFORMED BY A COMPUTER PROGRAM
       • checks data is reasonable
       • uses rules
       • checks data is sensible
       • cannot eliminate all errors
       • Enter text here
     • VALIDATION CHECKS
       • data type
       • length
       • file/table lookup
       • cross field
       • format check
       • range check
       • prescence check