Turning data into information is a process as we know but the process is not always the same, it can be very simple or take a little analysis or can even be down by a computer. Every minute of the day we are processing data into information whether it be hearing the alarm and knowing it's time to get up or at work viewing the reports and determining that the sales are down. They are both taking data and turning it into information, the buzzing of the alarm is the data and our brain turns it into the information that it is 6 am and at work the data is the sales from last week, $600, and the sales from this week, $300, then turning that data into the information that sales are down by $300. But always remember "Information consists of data, but data is not necessarily information." [1]
Yes we can all turn data into information but in order to know what the information means we need some knowledge to understand what the information is providing for us. In "Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom" by Gene Bellinger, Durval Castro, Anthony Mills they provide and example about give sequence of data by the 4th piece of data I new they were talking about a refrigerator. As I continued to read the data it only confirmed the information I had concluded but what they said next was very interesting. "If you lived in a society that had never seen a refrigerator you might still be scratching your head as to what the sequence of statements referred to". [2] And this is very true if someone who did not know what a refrigerator was would not have been able to determine what that data was telling them. All in all an individual in order to understand and turn the data into information will need some knowledge of the data.
Data can also be turned into information very easily by a computer and use of the Internet. The best example is google. Now think of a time when you a in your car driving around and this new song comes on that you love and you tell yourself you have to remember the name when you get home so you can buy it. Well of course if you are like me you never remember. But luckily when this happens to me I at least remember a few words from the song. With the words I can go to google type them in with quotes and seconds later the search engine gives me the name, artist, all the lyrics, and even the video on YouTube. This is a prime example of turning data into information.
"Both data and information are types of knowledge or something used to attain knowledge...data in a meaningful form is information." [3] It's all relative with out one we can't have another when it comes to data, information, and knowledge. We need all three to make the whole process work and run smoothly.
Works Cited
[1] "Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom." Helping Preservice and Inservice PreK-12 Teachers Learn about Computer Technology. Web. 07 Sept. 2011. .
[2] Bellinger, Gene, Durval Castro, and Anthony Mills. "Data, Information, Knowledge, & Wisdom." Mental Model Musings. 2004. Web. 07 Sept. 2011. .
[3] "Difference Between Data and Information | Difference Between | Data vs Information." Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects. Web. 07 Sept. 2011. .
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