Difference between Data and Information

There is a very thin line between data and information. In simple knowledge, we think both of them are similar. But there are lots of difference between data and information. A whole chart or details is called information and every single object of that information is called data. Information is organized with a bunch of data.

This information allows us to know in details about any topic or research. But without data, a context can never become information. There are lots of similarities between data and information. We become confused between the two of them because we don’t have the exact knowledge of them. Let’s find out about What is data and information.

What is Data?

An unorganized, raw, simple, sometimes useless thing in information is called data. Data is very simple and useless until it is processed and organized because we can never get the knowledge of something from data. Basically, Data store is in RAM it’s called Random Access Memory. You can check also What is the difference between RAM and ROM?

A random number, an unknown character, facts, symbols, images etc are examples of data. 100 is an individual number. But there is nothing that can be useful for us. But when it will be processed with other data, we will find the details of what someone or something wants to mean. Like 100 miles. There are two data, one is 100 and another is miles. Now we can understand the use of 100 and miles together.

What is Information

Information is a package or set of data which is included in the context to describe the details of any topic or research. Information makes a context meaningful and useful for others. It helps us to know the exact story of a context. The information contains a huge number of data from several sources. Let’s see an example of information. ” John can walk 10 miles a day”.

Data and Information is a part of ICT. Do you know what is the importance of ICT? Here, you will get the importance of ICT details.

This sentence contains the full details of John’s walking. So it is a strong example of information. And it contains several kinds of data like John (character), 10 (number), a day (time) etc.

Examples of Data and information

Examples of Information: “John lives at house No. 558 in New York.” “He can run 10 Kilometers a day.” “United States is a powerful country.”

Examples of Data: John, 558, New York, United States, 10, Kilometers

Data Vs Information

• Data can be any character, number, images, words, text, means little or nothing to a man. When data is processed, organized and presented in a context to make it useful is called information.
• Data alone can never be significant. But information is always important by itself.
• A data is like input to a computer and information is an output from a computer.
• Data is based on records, observations etc. Information is based on analysis of data.
• Data is unorganized and does not depends on information. But Information always depends on data and organized.
• An organization or institution contains data which is not public property. But information is available for the public.
• Besides, Data is alone and it contains no meaning at all. As against, the information contains a logical meaning.
• Data measured in bits and bytes. But information measures in several units like quality, time, situation etc.
• In decision making, we can never use data. Because it is the raw material of information. But information helps us to make decisions.

Read more about importance of Communication

The Etymology of Data and Information

Data is the plural form of Datum. Datum is a Latin word which means “To give something”. The using of the word “data” started in the 1640s in English. But Datum is the main word and data is the plural form of it. Some writers started writing data as a singular form (as a mass noun).

Information is an English word and it came from a Latin stem Informare. It means “to inform”, “to discipline”, “teach” etc. The Information came into the English language from the 1300 s.

Conclusion

The relationship between data and information is robust. But there is a difference between data and information also. Data is a single object which allows us to know nothing. But, when a lot of data attach to each other and make a proper meaning of them, they become a piece of information.

Data alone is raw and it has no value to humanity. But information is valuable to human without a doubt because, without information we cannot think to create our modern world. And without data, we cannot think of information because a piece of information become from several data.

The uses of data and information in computers are many that we can’t think of a computer without them. Though there is a difference between data and information, they are playing the most significant roles in our technologies.