1.4 The nature of data and information

As we saw in the previous section, data is the raw material entered into an information system. It is the input of the system. Data can be thought of as unorganised facts that mean little by themselves. Information is data that has been ordered and given some meaning. It is the output of the system. In an information system, information technology, participants (people) and information processes combine to transform data into information. This information may be used as the input for another information system. The distinction between data and information is important. It explains why it is possible for an information system to collect huge amounts of data but fail to satisfy an organisation’s information needs. For example, an organisation may perform thousands of transactions each day, and record them using an information system. Simply making a printout of every transaction, however, will not provide useful information for managers. The information processes of organising, analysing, processing and displaying help to convert data into information using methods such as: • choosing data pertinent to the problem • deleting irrelevant data • combining data • displaying data in an understandable way.

Data

Data is a vital ingredient of an information system. If the data collected is meaningless, the information presented will be meaningless. Organisations need to ensure that appropriate data is available at the correct time for processing. Data will be appropriate if it is:

• relevant—useful to the purpose of the information system

• accurate—collected from a dependable source and entered without errors

• timely—current, and kept up-to-date

• secure—protected from deliberate or accidental damage or loss.

Data with the above characteristics needs to be entered into the information system in the correct form. This depends on the input device, the application software to be used to process it, and the type of information (output) that is required. When the data is entered into the information system it is organised as a particular data type. The data type describes the kind of data, such as images, audio, video, text or numbers.

• Images are data in the form of pictures, such as drawings, paintings or photographs. They can be stored, edited and transferred in similar ways to text. The meaning of an image is determined by looking at the image and interpreting it.

• Audio is data in the form of sounds. It may be a noise used to get a user’s attention or a voice to explain the operation of a piece of software. The meaning of audio data is determined by listening to and interpreting the sounds.

• Video is data in the form of pictures and sounds combined and displayed over time. It may include text, graphics, animation and audio. The meaning of video is determined by watching and listening to it over a period of time.