1. MIS 420: Data, Context, Information, Knowledge

2. [recap]: video/hoa#1
What does McCandless mean by data is meaningless without context?
Why do you think it is important for data to tell a story?
What does McCandless mean by data is the new soil?
What are the importance of relative figures instead of absolute figures?
Some people argue that visualization oversimplifies the data it represents. Do you agree/disagree? Why?

3. [recap]: big data

4. [why look at data?]: To answer a question To explore
What percentage of college players make it to the NFL?
Answer: 0.2%
How many people died last year because of preventable medical errors?
Answer: 44,000 to 98,000
To explore
May find question along the way
Keep open mind for:
Unusual patterns, results
Ah-ha! Moment
Think about a good question to ask? Examples?

5. [what is data?]: Raw facts and figures
No meaning until it is processed and given a context
Data point: a value assigned to a thing
Example: What values can we assign to the picture?
What is it?: Football
Category: Sport
Color(s): Brown & White
Condition: New, Used
Size: 11in (length); 22in (circ.)
Weight: 14oz
Price: $20
What about something else?
Human? Beer?

6. [where does data come from?]:

7. [types of data]: Qualitative data: is not expressed as a number.
Feelings, emotions (Facebook status, Tweet)
Interview transcript
Description of colors, texture, taste, etc.
Quantitative data: information measured and written down with numbers.
Score on a test
Number of laces on a football
Price of item, size of item
In pictures to right, what data is qualitative and quantitative?

8. [unstructured vs. structured data]:
Information that doesn't reside in a traditional row-column database
Sentence: “I have 5 used brown footballs with a circumference of 22 inches and a length of 11 inches.”
No fixed underlying structure
Ex: PDFs, images (.png), s, videos
80% to 90% of data in an organization
Resides in a fixed field within a record or file is called structured data
Ex: CSV structured format of football
“quantity”, “color”, “condition”, “item”, “category”, “circumference(in)”, “price per unit (USD)” 5,”brown”,”used”,”ball”,”football”,22,11

9. [data to information to knowledge]:

10. [data to information to knowledge]: example 1
Remember, data has no meaning until it is given a context and processed
Then, it can be deemed as information
What do these numbers mean?
51, 77, 58, 82, 64, 70
Needs a context
Test scores achieved by students
Needs to be processed in some form (i.e., needs an interesting and practical question)
Ex: what average text score
Information: the average test score for the students is 67%.

11. [data to information to knowledge]: example 2
What does this text mean?
chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, strawberry, vanilla, vanilla, strawberry, vanilla, vanilla
Needs a context
Tubs of ice cream sold yesterday
Needs to be processed in some form
needs an interesting and practical question)
Needs to be analyzed
Ex: what was the most popular flavor sold yesterday
Information: we create a chart from the data to show which was the most popular flavor

12. [data to information to knowledge]: example 1
Knowledge: the capability of understanding the relationship between pieces of information and what to do with the information.
Simple definition: what to do with the information.
Example:
Data: 51, 77, 58, 82, 64, 70
Context: Student test scores
Processing (analysis): what is the average. Let’s get it.
Information: 67% is the average
Knowledge: what would/could you do??

13. [data to information to knowledge]: example 2
Knowledge: the capability of understanding the relationship between pieces of information and what to do with the information.
Simple definition: what to do with the information.
Example:
Data: chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, strawberry, vanilla, vanilla, strawberry, vanilla, vanilla
Context: Tubes of ice cream sold yesterday
Processing (analysis): what was the most popular flavor sold yesterday
Information: 56%
Knowledge: what would/could you do??

14. [where does knowledge come from?]:
Experience
Training
Manuals
Procedures
Other People
Where else?

15. [recap]:
“Knowledge is the factor that allows you to take effective action. It allows you to make the right decision and to do the right thing.” – Nick Milton
Knowledge provides capability and know-how
Cannot have knowledge without data, context, and a story to tell.

16. [class activity]: read these articles
flu-trends-shows-problems-of-big-data-without- context/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
mistake-you-cant-afford-to-make/
what’s the point?
any other examples?