DATA PROCESSING & INFORMATION PROCESS

DATA PROCESSING & INFORMATION PROCESS

  Data is the collection of facts which is unorganized but can be organized into useful information.

• Data is the raw material from which information is derived.
• It is raw facts or observations.
• E.g :- The sale of automobile or tool would generate lot of data describing those events.

  Information is referred to as data that have been processed into a form that is meaningful to the recipient & is of real or perceived value in current or prospective actions or decisions.

• Information is data that has been interpreted so that it has meaning for the user. "The price of crude oil has risen from $70 to $80 per barrel" gives meaning to the data & so is said to be information to someone who tracks oil prices.
• Information results from data that are organized or structured in some meaningful ways.
• Data is usually useful until it is subjected to a "value added process."

1.  Its form is aggregated, manipulated & organized.
2. Its content is analyzed & evaluated.
3. It is placed in proper context for the human user.

DATA -----> PROCESS ------> INFORMATION -----> DECISION ------------> ACTION
  DATA + RELEVANCE + PURPOSE = INFORMATION.


DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DATA & INFORMATION

•     Data are facts but information based on data are not necessarily facts.
• Though information arises from data, all data do not become information. There is a lot of selective filtering of data before processing them into information.
• Data are the results of routine recording of events & activities taking place whereas the generation of information is user driven & not always automatic.
• Data are independent of users whereas information is user dependant.
• Information reports that are generated may not be useful to some or the other user or groups of users.
• Information for one user is data for another user.

Data processing & Information Processing :-

• Data are ill structured. eg. form vouchers etc.
• Captured data are structured for storage & further processing.
• Series of operations are performed on the data to generate information.
• Different types of operations can be performed on the data like aggregation, summarisation, calculation etc. Depends on the type & quality of the information required.
• Information processing includes traditional data processing as well as processing text, images etc.