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Basic 7: Data and Information What Is Data?

Data is raw facts represented as numbers, letters, or words, while information is organized and classified data that has meaningful value. There are various types of data including numeric, alphabetic, alphanumeric, audio, and graphic. Data can come from sources like interviews, observation, documents, and surveys. For data to be useful information, it needs qualities such as being timely, accurate, meaningful, relevant, comprehensive, economical, suitable, and reliable. Information can be classified based on its form, time of occurrence, or frequency. Computers are needed for processing information accurately, efficiently storing it, working at high speeds, handling complexity, and ensuring consistency.

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387 views3 pages

Basic 7: Data and Information What Is Data?

Data is raw facts represented as numbers, letters, or words, while information is organized and classified data that has meaningful value. There are various types of data including numeric, alphabetic, alphanumeric, audio, and graphic. Data can come from sources like interviews, observation, documents, and surveys. For data to be useful information, it needs qualities such as being timely, accurate, meaningful, relevant, comprehensive, economical, suitable, and reliable. Information can be classified based on its form, time of occurrence, or frequency. Computers are needed for processing information accurately, efficiently storing it, working at high speeds, handling complexity, and ensuring consistency.

Uploaded by

k3lvyn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Basic 7

Data and information


What is data?
Data can be defined as a collection of raw facts represented in the form of
numbers, letters or words about an event, activity or something.
Data are also facts and figures that can be processed by a computer.

What is information?
Information is organized or classified data which has some meaningful value to
the receiver.

Types of data
Data consists of various types, namely;
1. Numeric data – this is data represented in the form of numbers or figures.
E.g. 246, 20, 900
2. Alphabetic data (labels) – this consists of letters, names, places. E.g. port
Harcourt, Adeolu, and letters A-Z. labels are also called strings.
3. Alpha-numeric data – this is a combination of numbers and alphabets. E.g.
school address; Jesuit Memorial College, P.M.B. 18095, Port-Harcourt.
4. Audio data – these are also known as voice data. They are usually sent into
a computer with a microphone.
5. Graphic data – these are also called video or visual data. They are usually
multimedia types such as pictures, images diagrams etc.
Sources of data
Sources of data refers to how data is obtained. This is determined by the nature
of the data, time and also the cost of obtaining the data.
Data can be obtained by:
1. Interviewing
2. Observing
3. Document analysis
4. Survey
Qualities of good information
For data to be meaningful, it must possess the following characteristics;
1. Timely
2. Accurate
3. Meaningful
4. Relevant
5. Comprehensive
6. Economical
7. Suitable
8. reliable
Classification of information
Information can be classified based on the following;
1. Form in which the information exists
2. Time of occurrence
3. Frequency of occurrence
Based on the form in which the information exists
1. Written information- this is information written down on a medium usually
paper. E.g. magazines, books and newspapers
2. Oral information – information by talking or speaking
3. Visual information – information through pictures, images, video ad charts
4. Sensory information – information by hearing, feeling, smelling, touching.
Based on the time of occurrence
1. Historical information – related to past events
2. Present information – related to present events such as current issues.
3. Future information – relating to a future activity such as weather forecast.
Based on frequency of occurrence
1. Continuous information
2. Hourly information
3. Daily information
4. Monthly information
5. Termly information
6. Annual information
Information processing and the need for computers
Information needs to be stored in a meaningful and efficient manner in order to
make it available whenever it is needed. However computers are needed for
information processing based on the following;
1. Accuracy
2. Efficiency in storage
3. Speed
4. Complexity
5. Consistency

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