Concept of Data

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Rakesh S. Pandya
Data
What is data ?
Data represents a fact or statement of event
without relation to other things.
Ex: It is raining.
Data is a collection of facts, such as values or
measurements. It can be numbers, words,
measurements, observations or even just
descriptions of things.
Data can be qualitative or quantitative.
Qualitative data is descriptive information (it
describes something)
Quantitative data, is numerical information
(numbers).

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Data
Hence data is simply exists and it has no
significance beyond its existence (in and of
itself). It can exist in any form, usable or
not. It does not have meaning of itself.
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Quantitative data can also be
Discrete or Continuous:
Discrete data can only take
certain values (like whole
numbers)
Continuous data can take any
value (within a range)
Put simply: Discrete data is
counted, Continuous data is
measured
Data
Data type ?
Data type or a type of data is same.
It can also be a data storage format that contains
specific type or range of values.
A computer programs store data in variables.
Each variable may be assigned to a specific data
type such as : integers, floating point numbers
(fractional), characters, string, array, dates and
Boolean.
Data types are used in all Database application.
Ex. Var1 may have value 1.25 is a floating point
Var1 may have value 345 is an Integer
Var1 may have value Hello world is a string
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Data
Data that :
has been verified to be accurate and timely
available
is specific and organized for a purpose
Is presented within a context that gives it
meaning and relevance and
can lead to an increase in understanding and
decrease uncertainty

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Information
What is Information?
Information embodies the understanding of
a relationship of some sort, possibly cause
and effect.
Ex: The temperature dropped 15 degrees
and then it started raining.

Information is processed data that has
been given meaning by way of relational
connection. In Computer Based Business
Information System a relational
database makes information from the
data stored within it.
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Information
Information is also data that have
been processed from another data
with meaningful and usefulness.
The terms meaningful and
useful are value-laden terms and
usually subsume other qualities
such as timeliness, relevance,
reliability, consistency,
comparability.
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Data_1
Days Worked
30
Data_2
Rate per Day
Rs. 50
Process for
Total Amount to pay
Days worked
x Rate per Day
Information
Data_1 x Data_2
30 x 50 = 1500
The value of information lies solely
in its ability to affect a behaviour,
decision or outcome. A piece of
information is considered valueless
if after receiving it things remains
unchanged.
Process
What is Process?
A process is a program which perform its
task.
A process is a set of logical instructions to
be performed in sequence.
All programs (system or application)
performed the specific processes for which
they are coded.
Many processes work in foreground or in
background.
A process may be combination of various
sub-processes. Hence end result depends on
the completion of all sub-processes.
Ex. In the previous example Multiplication is a process.

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Reference Material
1. Using Technology in the Classroom, 5
th

ed. 2002, Allyn and Bacon; Boston by
Gary Bitter & Melissa Pierson
2. Teaching with Technology, 1998,
Harcourt Brace College Publishers; Fort
Worth by Priscilla Norton & Karin M.
Wiburg

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