Data and Information are Two Different Things

[GarySp]

How often do you hear someone speak about "data", then switch to the word "information"?  I used do it - maybe to avoid repetition - or because I wanted more syllables.  I've worked to get out of that habit though.  

Why?

Because DATA and INFORMATION are really two different things.

DICTIONARY.COM has this definition of DATA: 

1. a plural of datum.

2. (used with a plural verb) individual facts, statistics, or items of information:

These data represent the results of our analyses. Data are entered by terminal for immediate processing by the computer.

3.  (used with a singular verb) a body of facts; information

There's that "other word" ... INFORMATION ... listed twice no less.

Well, what about INFORMATION?

Looking at DICTIONARY.COM again, the first two definitions are really telling

1.  knowledge communicated or received concerning a particular fact or circumstance; news:

information concerning a crime.

2.  knowledge gained through study, communication,research, instruction, etc.; factual data:

His wealth of general information is amazing.

Data - individual facts, statistics, a body of facts

Information - knowledge communicated or knowledge gained concerning a fact

Based on what I read, I honestly cannot understand how INFORMATION got lumped in to the definition of DATA.  DATA is the item, INFORMATION is the application, context and knowledge gained.

Let's look at it from a "problem solving" standpoint.

Suppose I provide the following following numbers:

16  100  200  30000   65000   60   70   80   

What is that?  Easy.  Data.  It's a body of facts (I'll explain in a moment).  There's no INFORMATION here, no knowledge communicated or received, nothing gained through study or research.  It's just data.

But what data is it?  What if I told you that the numbers above represented ME?  Let me explain - when my daughter was 16 years old, we had saved $30,000 for her college.  It cost approximately $65,000 to send her to in-state, public school, and we were placing $200 per month in the plan.  When she was ready, we would have about 60% of her college costs saved.

You may be thinking, that's just data and context.  You're right.  Adding context communicates detail about the facts.  Context and data - that's INFORMATION - that's knowledge communicated based on facts - based on DATA.  See the difference?

But wait ... I've forgotten to explain 3 numbers ... 100   70   80.  What are those?  They're DATA.  But more.  Those numbers are PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS.  

100 represents an additional dollar amount to save for college above the current $200.

70 represents the percentage of college costs banked with the change - not 60%.

80 represents a percent chance, if you were a financial advisor to glean that share of wallet.

Predictive Analytics can provide new, different, forward-thinking understanding and potential future possibilities and outcomes, but we need the right data, the right context, the right questions, to produce the right forward-looking information.

Next time you hear someone speak about data and information, remember that there's a BIG DIFFERENCE between the two, and chuckle to yourself when the terms are interchanged - because they are not the same.