Difference Between Data and Information

Information and data are fundamental concepts in computer science. A data is nothing more than a symbolic representation of some situation or knowledge, without any semantic sense, describing circumstances and facts without transmitting any message.

While the information is a set of data, which are processed adequately so that in this way, they can provide a message that contributes to the decision making when solving a problem. Also to increasing knowledge, in the users who have access to this information.

The terms information and data may seem to mean the same; however, it is not. The main difference between this concept is that the data are symbols of different nature and the information is the set of these data that have gotten treated and organized.

Information and data are two different things, although related to each other.

The differences between both are the following:

Data

• They are symbolic representations.

• By themselves, they have no meaning.

• They can not transmit a message.

• They are derived from the description of certain facts.

• The data is usually used to compress information to facilitate the storage of data, and its transmission to other devices on the contrary that the report, which tends to be very extensive.

Information

• It is the union of data that has been processed and organized.

• They have meaning.

• You can transmit a message.

• Increase knowledge of a situation.

• The information or message is much higher than the data since the data gets integrated by a set of data of different types.

• Another remarkable feature of the information is that it is a message that has communicational meaning and a social function. While the data does not reflect any word and usually is difficult to understand by itself for any human being, lacking utility if it is isolated or without other groups of data that create a consistent message.

The main difference gets centered on the message that the information can transmit, and that a data on its own cannot perform. A lot of info is needed to create a news or information. There is a difference between data and information, and that this difference is quite significant. Therefore, these terms should not be confused, especially within the computing and computer field, as well as, within the area of ​​communications.

For this to be information as such, you must meet these 3 requirements:

• Be useful– What is the use of knowing that “The price of X share will rise by 10% in the next 24 hours” if I want to see the definition of Globalization?

• Be reliable– What good is a piece of information, if we do not know if it is true, accurate or at least reliable? Not every part of the data will be correct, but at least it must be reliable. It could be making a decision based on the wrong information.
  
  

• Be timely– What is the use of knowing that it rains in the United States if I live in Argentina? I am looking to see if it will rain in the afternoon in my country to know if I should go out with an umbrella or not.

What is data?

Data are symbolic representations of some entity, can be alphabetic letters, points, numbers, drawings, etc. The data unitarily have no meaning or semantic value, that is, they have no impact. But when correctly processed, they become meaningful information that helps make decisions. The data can be grouped and associated in a specific context and produce the data.

Classification of data

• Qualitative– Are those that indicate qualities such as texture, color, experience, etc.

• Continuous– These are data that are expressed in whole or complete numerical form.

• Discrete– These data are expressed in fractions or using decimals.

• Quantitative– Data that refers to the numerical characteristic, can be numbers, sizes, quantities.

• Nominal– They includes data such as sex, academic career, qualifications. They can be assigned a number to process them statistically.

• Hierarchized– They are those that throw subjective evaluations and are organized according to achievement or preference.

What is information?

Information is the grouping of data whose organization allows to convey a meaning. It will enable the uncertainty to decrease and the knowledge to increase. The info is elementary to solve problems because it provides everything necessary to make appropriate decisions.

In an organization, information is one of its most vital resources so that it lasts over time. For data to become information must be processed and organized, always fulfilling some characteristics, some exclusionary, others only important but may not be.

Characteristics of the information

• Relevance– Must be relevant or important to generate and increase knowledge. The incorrect decision making is often due to the grouping of too many data, therefore the most important ones must be collected and grouped.

• Accuracy– must have sufficient accuracy, taking into account the purpose for which it is needed.

• Complete– All the information needed to solve a problem must be complete and available.

• Reliable source– The information will be reliable as long as the source is reliable.

• Deliver to the right person– The information must be given to whoever is entitled to receive it, only then can it fulfill its true objective.

• Punctuality– The best information is the one that is communicated at the precise moment when it is needed and will be used.

• Detail– You must have specific details so that this is effective.

• Comprehension– If the information is not understood, it can be used and will not have any value for the recipient.

The process of transformation of data into information and knowledge

There are many instances from which one receives data until that data is a factual knowledge that we will enjoy benefits, and even one of those intermediate instances is information.

The process will vary depending on the sample (type, quantity, and quality of data) and depending on our objectives, but the process is somewhat similar to this:

• Data – We receive a series of data, which may be few or many, may be useful or not, we still do not know.

• The data are selected – Now we have to see them, one by one and we have to really see which ones are useful to us. Based on this we will have a list of selected data.

• Pre Process – Now with that data selected, now perhaps only 20% of those that were original, we have to organize them to be able to enter them into some processing system.

• Processed data – They are no longer just selected data, now they are organized and processor, now we are faced with a professed transformation of those data because we are looking for a result.

• Transformed data – It is no longer raw data much less, and practically has the form of information and in fact, roughly we can find certain things that may get our attention.
• Patterns – When we repeatedly have precise information and apply it to look for patterns, in some occasions that information can be useful, reliable and obviously timely, but nobody has the absolute truth; Some piece of information may have some error/deviation, however slight it may be.