Characteristics and Sources of Information

Data and Information Distinction between data and information Data (input)– recorded raw facts without meaning Process – something which changes data into information Information (output) – something which has meaning to the recipient which can be used for decision making Type of information Qualitative – Subjective and personal (opinions) Quantitative – factual data (M/F) Primary – data collected first hand eg survey Secondary – data collected previously from other sources eg internet

Characteristics Characteristics of good information Valid – has it been checked and not biased Reliable – trust worthy, checked with other sources Timely – at the time needed for a decision Fit-for-purpose – is it right for the client’s needs Accessible – easy to find and use (if allowed) Cost-effective – do the benefits outweigh the cost sufficiently accurate – without error Relevant – to the decision being made Having the right level of detail for the right person From a source in which the user has confidence Understandable by the user

Processing Transformation of data into information through Collection – how, where, purpose, validated Storage - files paper or electronic Processing and manipulation – query, calculate, edit Retrieval - from storage into required format for presentation Presentation – output on screen or printout eg report, letter, graphical image

Sources of information Where does the data come from eg verbal, books, electroinc databases, internet Must be a reliable source Internal (within the organisation) Financial – income, expenditure Personnel – Human Resource – personal and employment details Marketing – product definition, adverts, customer surveys Purchasing – records of supplies and purchases Sales – who sold to, when, date Manufacturing – resources and timescales to produce products Administration – data production tasks – reports, letters, communications External Government – legal boundaries eg TAX and legislation trade groupings – boundaries and etiquette of business trade commercially provided databases – publically accessible or purchased Research – ask the right person, links within industry reliability of data sources – how established are they