ICT AS Level - Topic 1 Data, Information + Knowledge

Data - Details which are meaningless as they lack relevance e.g. numbers, words, images + sound

Ways in which data can Arise:

- From a survey

 - From automatic measurement of environmental quantities

 - From output of a management information system

 - From results of an experiment

 - From a transaction

What is the Difference between Data and Information?

- Data are VALUES and information is CONTEXT given to data

Key Points about Information:

- Comes from processing of data

 - People/computers can find patterns which gives information

 - Information enhances knowledge about a subject

 - Data which has been processed, converted to give meaning and organised in some way

Key Points about Knowledge:

- Interpret + apply information by applying rules

 - Decisions can be made after this

Types of Processing Include:

- Performing Calculations

 - Making decisions

 - Sorting

 - Grouping

Here are the things Information needs to have in Order to be Useful:

- It has to be meaningful to the person using it for it to be useful

 - Lots of information communications systems fail to do this which is frustrating to users

Reasons for Encoding:

- Coded data takes less effort to type in

 - More data can appear on the screen

 - It takes up less storage space

 - It's easier to check a code is accurate (validation checks) e.g. GB (Great Britain)

Problems with Encoding Data:

- It coarsens data e.g. BL (Blue), BR (Brown), GR (Green) and GY (Grey) and there is a criminal which has eyes that could be BL or GR

 - This limits you to one choice which makes the data less accurate

 - Value judgements differ for different people which can result in errors in data collection e.g. Someone's idea of short may be someone else's idea of tall (T, M + S)