Hello everyone, hope you'll are doing great? However, welcome back to my blog.
Computer system accepts data( a raw fact) as Input processes it into a meaningful piece called information. The disparity between data and information is noticed in their construction which I will on today.
The term data and information are concept in a computer which is interchangeable most times but they're different terminologies.
Therefore, data is a raw value that serves as the basic input of the computer. This raw values include characters, numbers, and other data types which are not meaningful but they're only unstructured facts. Data forms the basic units of information, which is represented as bits and bytes in the computer that forms the context of processing and storage. In addition, data has no significance and it can be structured as graphs, data tree and tabular data based on the observations and records which are stored in the computer.
**Data are of five types which are processed and stored in the computer system**
- Text which are made up of strings of characters.
- Numbers such as 0, 1, 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
- Audio such as speech, and music.
- Pictures which include monochrome and color.
- Video this includes sequence of pictures such as movies or animation.
Having seen what data entails, let's go the side of information
From the above image information is the output of a processed data, computer is a typical example of information because it uses various formulae, function, programming script, and software tools to transform raw data into meaningful information. Information therefore is defined as a set of interpreted or organized data that has already been processed and stored in the computer. It's structured, has significance, processed and stored in the desired context to be meaningful to humans when used, its meaning is dependent on data.
One will ask how can I know information in computer? Data that is already processed and stored in the computer is information and it ranges from Mark sheet of students, Pay slip of employees, and time chart of train schedule etc. This information has characteristics which includes
Information is characterized by
Accuracy: data processed and stored in the computer must be correct and perfect so as to be useful to the user. Accuracy of information means the ratio of correct data to the total information stored as to be understood and used by users.
Concise:Conciseness comes from an accurate information, the Information doesn't contain unnecessary details not related to the processed and stored data.
Complete: Completeness comes from accurate inputted data that has been stored, all information stored in the computer doesn't have to be partial so as to give a complete meaning to the user.
Reliable: Reliability comes from accurate processed and stored data. Information stored always gives same result that is authentic when requested and used by the user.
Relevant: Relevance comes from accurate stored data. Information stored in the computer are of relevance which prompted the storage first and foremost in the computer system.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DATA AND INFORMATION
| DATA | INFORMATION |
|---|---|
| data is a raw fact that serves as the building block of computer input | Information is a processed data that is stored in the computer |
| Computer receives and interprets data | Information is the output of how the computer interprets data |
| Data is unstructured facts and has no meaning | Information is structured and has meaning |
| Data is typically measured in terms of storage units such as bits and bytes | Information is usually measured in meaningful units, quantity and time etc. |
| Data is not dependable on Information | Information is dependable on data |
| Example of data is a single character, Boolean (true or false), Text (string), picture, sound, number and video | example of Information is mark sheet of students, Pay slip of employees and time chart of accounts etc. |
CONCLUSION
Data is raw facts that are unprocessed and doesn't have meaning, it is the building block of computer input while Information is a processed data that has been stored in the computer system. Information has the characteristics of accuracy, Conciseness, Completeness, reliability, timely and relevance etc.
It's to be noted that the terms data and Information is often used interchangeably but there is a great difference between the two, what the computer accepts is data and what the user makes use of is Information.
