What is Data The term data has been used to refer to information that is stored or processed in a computer since the introduction of computers into our society.
It’s important to understand that data encompasses a broader concept than information. It can mean information written on paper as text or numbers, information in the form of bytes and bits stored in computers, mobile phones, or any other electronic devices, or information stored in a person’s memory.
What is Data ?
It can be described as facts/figures or any kind of information that is usually presented in a particular structure.
In computing, software is generally categorized into two main types: data and programs which are required to support the execution of the plan. Programs can be defined as sequences of instructions proposed to affect data.
What is Information?
Knowledge is obtained from information that has been analyzed, categorized, or otherwise formatted in a manner that brings sense to the data. Concisely, information can be defined as “processed data”. Knowledge is information that has been processed and is stored in the memory of an individual or organization.
Growth Of Data Trends (2010-2024)
Types of Data
The use of the internet and smartphones that have developed in the past decade has resulted in the production of large amounts of digital data. Such data is in the form of text, audio, video, and records of web activities and is mostly unstructured.
Another term that has come into common use is “big data” which refers to very large data measured in petabytes or more. With the growth of e-commerce and online activities, new business models have appeared that use data as a commodity, consequently, raising the problem of data privacy and the role of data in society.
In such areas as electronic component connection, and computer and network communication, the term ‘data’ is used differently from other terms like ‘control information’ or ‘control bits’ that define the content of a transmission unit. Moreover, in science, finance, marketing, demography and health, data means accumulated and stored information.
Data Storage
Common Data Storage Measurements
| Unit | Value |
| Bit | 1 Bit |
| Byte | 8 Bits |
| Kilobyte | 1,024 Bytes |
| Megabyte | 1,024 Kilobytes |
| Gigabyte | 1,024 Megabytes |
| Terabyte | 1,024 Gigabytes |
| Petabyte | 1,024 Terabytes |
| Exabyte | 1,024 Petabytes |
| Zettabyte | 1,024 Exabytes |
| Yottabyte | 1,024 Zettabytes |
| Brontobyte | 1,024 Yottabytes |
Data in computers are stored and manipulated in the form of text, images, sound and video, which are in the form of binary values or 1s and 0s. “bit” which is a single binary value of either 0 or 1 is the smallest unit. A “byte,” consisting of eight bits, is a commonly used data measurement unit. Storage capacity is measured in units such as megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, petabytes, and exabytes. Since data generation is rising, new, large measurements are created continuously.
Data can be stored in various file formats, including mainframe systems like the Indexed Sequential Access Method and Virtual Storage Access Method. These formats are used in various machine types, although there is a trend toward increasing structured data in modern IT settings.
Data Management and Utilization
In the process of legislative learning, data quality has emerged as a crucial issue as organizations collect more data. This includes the elimination of repetition or copying and ensuring that records are well-updated. Contemporary data management activities involve data scrubbing and extract, transform, and load (ETL) operations for consolidation.
Metadata is defined as “data about data” and acts as an important tool for administrators and users to understand databases.
The combination of structured and unstructured data is now critical because organizations need to use this data for strategic purposes. Many analytical systems are now built for real-time processing where they are able to provide insights on data streams in immediate real-time for operational purposes.
The concept of databases has evolved from just being used for operations and transactions to also being used for reporting and prediction. Data warehouses are an example of a system specifically designed for queries related to business needs and problems.
Data Processing Cycle
The data processing cycle is a logical series of activities that are carried out to process raw data into useful information.
This cycle consists of three fundamental stages: As for the model, it can be divided into the input, processing, and output. Each stage has its purpose of data organization and interpretation to increase the usefulness and relevance of data for a given use.
Input: The first process is the getting ready of data for processing. This preparation entails putting the data in a form that is acceptable for the machine or system. The input data is vital in a decision-making process because subsequent steps depend on the quality of the data entered.
Processing: In this stage, the input data is preprocessed and made more meaningful for the next stages of the process. This transformation can be a simple arithmetic computation or a compilation, sorting, or any other process that reorganizes the data to touch at some useful information.
Output: The last step is to gather the processed information and make it available in a useful format depending on the application. This processed information could be in the form of reports, charts or any other means that would display the output.
These stages are integrated into a life cycle that can be run through every time new data is available or some of the requirements change.
Conclusion
Information is the main life wire of contemporary organizations as it offers the basic input for the decision-making process, innovation, and development. The knowledge of the different types of data and how it is collected, stored and analyzed is important to businesses for data to be of value. The role of data is set to grow with time due to technological developments, and this means that the workforce must have skilled personnel to make the best use of the data.
