Question

Which in unprocessed facts

Answer 1

Data is raw unprocessed facts and figures that have no context or purposeful meaning and information is processed data that has meaning and is presented in a context.

For example, a computer operator may enter 36.41, which is data, because we do not know why or in what context it is being used. However, if this number then appears on a bill to show that you owe a company £36.41 for goods received then this data has changed into information, because it has acquired a context (it’s a bill) and meaning.

The figures 36.41 will be held as binary data on some media such as a hard disk.  It is the software which accesses this data and displays it in its context.  It may also have some structure, if it is held in a program like a database for example, and a database will also give it structure.  So, it is the software which turns the figures from data into information and gives them meaning.