Data, information and knowledge
Raw facts → meaningful information → actionable knowledge.
Data — raw, unprocessed facts with no context. Example: '28, 31, 19, 24'.
Information — data PROCESSED into meaningful form. Example: 'The average temperature this week was 25.5°C'.
Knowledge — information + understanding + experience → enables decisions. Example: 'Temperatures are above average, so we should water more'.
The DIKW pyramid: Data → Information → Knowledge → Wisdom.
Processing turns data into information:
- Sorting.
- Filtering.
- Calculating (averages, totals).
- Summarising.
- Combining sources.
- Presenting (charts, reports).
Computers excel at processing DATA into INFORMATION. Humans apply judgement to turn information into KNOWLEDGE.