Data vs information

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Data vs information

Data is the raw material for data processing.

Data relate to numbers, raw facts, events and transactions which have been recorded but not yet processed into a form suitable for use.

Data on its own is meaningless.

Information is data that has been processed in such a way as to be meaningful to the person who receives it.

ACCA MA F2 A1e study material Data vs information graph

Quantitative Or Qualitative

Data can be either quantitative or qualitative, as can information.

  • If data can be measured, it is quantitative

    eg value of sales per day

  • If it cannot be measured, then it is qualitative

    eg it reflects some characteristic, for example, the colour of a product.

Discrete and continuous data

  • Discrete data

    can only take specific values

    For example, the number of products sold in a month must be a whole number.

  • Continuous data can take any numerical value

    For example, the weight of a consignment of products could be measured to any degree of accuracy.

NotesQuizObjective Test