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OU Courses
Block 1
- Differences between data and information
- Data or datum?
- Transforming data into information
- Binary Number System
- Octal Number System
- Hexadecimal Number System
- Conversion rules
- Binary Addition
- Number exercises
- Introduction to document markup
- Structured documents
- SGML
- HTML and Hyperlinking
- Introduction to XML
- Transformation of XML data using XSL
- Filtering XML data
- Sorting XML data
- Applying selection to XML data
- More complex selection to XML data
Miscellaneous
Study Skills
May 19, 2013, 11:54 pm
M150 Data, Computing and Information
Differences between data and information
The interchange of the words data and information is widespread, but M150 should help you to develop a clearer understanding of the differences between the two.
Data
- Facts, statistics used for reference or analysis.
- Numbers, characters, symbols, images etc., which can be processed by a computer.
- Data must be interpreted, by a human or machine, to derive meaning
- "Data is a representation of information" *
- Latin 'datum' meaning "that which is given"
- Data plural, datum singular (M150 adopts the general use of data as singular. Not everyone agrees.)
Information
- Knowledge derived from study, experience (by the senses), or instruction.
- Communication of intelligence.
- "Information is any kind of knowledge that is exchangeable amongst people, about things, facts, concepts, etc., in some context." *
- "Information is interpreted data" *
References
Online dictionaries >
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