DATA AND INFORMATION

What is Data: Data is the raw material for data processing. It is a representation of unprocessed facts about people, places, events, objects, or transactions recorded from which information can be prepared.

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It can be represented with the help of character like alphabets (A-Z, a-z), digits (0-9) or special characters (+,-, /, *, <,>, =).

Methods of Gathering Data

(1) By counting, using counters and also by measuring using tape, etc.

(2) By observation carried out by people e.g. sales at a super market.

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(3) Using Questionnaires

(4) Through Interviews

(5) Filling of form e.g. by candidates seeking admission into schools.

TYPES OF DATA

Alphabetic
Numeric
Alpha-numeric
Symbolic
Alphabetic Data: The alphabetic data are those data that consist of letters. Examples are John , Peter, W, E
Numeric Data: This contain/consist of numbers. It is also known as numeric data. For example 177, 23, 1234
Alpha-numeric Data: Alpha-numeric data are data that consist of both Alphabetic (letters) and numbers e.g. Nigeria 2015, Yabatech 2020, etc.
Symbolic Data: It consist of data with symbols, Data with any form of symbols are called symbolic data e.g.? <, >, =, +, -, (,), etc.

What is Information:

Information comes in different forms which includes

Visual: This is a graphical or pictorial form e.g. artistic, photographic, and other forms of representations.
Written: This form of information is written, it is hand-written or printed, they mean the same written form of information e.g. letters, newsletters, newspaper, memos, etc.
Oral: Information form from spoken words, or communicated by mouth.
Sensory: Information form from the five sense organs. They are also forms of information.
Historical: These are information form from past records, about events, activities, transactions, which has happened in the past e.g. educational records, medical records, etc.