Session 3:

Difference between Data, Information

and Knowledge
Kyaw Myo Min

 Data the discrete, objective facts

about events is the essential raw
material needed for the creation of
information; however, it cannot be
used to make decisions because it has
no meaning. It lacks meaning because
it has no inherent structure; no
established relationships between
entities.
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 Data becomes information when we add

meaning . We add meaning by providing a
context to the data. The context identifies
the purpose, and circumstance, that
surround the gathering of data; it
removes ambiguity. We can remove
ambiguity in a variety of ways:
categorizing, calculating, condensing, etc.
Information is helpful because it allows us
to answer the who, what, where,
when, and how many questions.
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Good information is:

Accurate - conveys the true situation.
Timely - is available in time to make decisions.
Useable - is portrayed in common, easily understood
formats and displays.

Complete - provides all necessary data.

Precise - has the required level of detail.

In short, information helps us decide what to do, not

how to do it. The how requires knowledge.
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 Knowledge is the data (facts),

information, and skills acquired through
experience or education. The hallmark
of knowledge is judgment: the ability to
make decisions or come to sensible
conclusions. Knowledge comprises not
only the ability to choose the
appropriate course of action, but also
the skills to execute it.
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 Knowledge is the data (facts),

information, and skills acquired through
experience or education. The hallmark
of knowledge is judgment: the ability to
make decisions or come to sensible
conclusions. Knowledge comprises not
only the ability to choose the
appropriate course of action, but also
the skills to execute it.
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Data, Information, and Knowledge

Data: Unorganized and unprocessed facts;
static; a set of discrete facts about events

Information: Aggregation of data that makes

decision making easier

Knowledge is derived from information in the

same way information is derived from data; it is
a persons range of information

The relationships between data, information, and knowledge

Data

Knowledge

Information

Simple observations
of the world:
Easily captured
Easily structured
Easily transferred
Compact,
quantifiable

Data with relevance

and purpose:
Requires unit of
analysis
Needs consensus on
meaning
Human mediation
necessary
Often garbled in
transmission

Valuable information
from the human mind:
includes reflection,
synthesis, context
Hard to capture
electronically
Hard to structure
Often tacit
Hard to transfer
Highly personal to
the source

More human contribution

Greater value

Relationship between data,

information and Knowledge
Knowledge

Value

Zero
Data

Low

Medium

High

Very High

Information

Difference between Data, Information & Knowledge

Definition

Example

Data is basically just raw facts and

figures. No single piece of data can be
useful by itself, as it does not provide
good business information.

The number 37 is data.

Information is data which has been

processed and has now got some
meaning behind it.

37% of people eat junk food

every day.

Knowledge is an understanding of the

information which has been given.

Those 37% of people lead a

very unhealthy lifestyle which
could lead to bad problems.

WISD
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Know
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Infor
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DAT
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OM
WISD

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Know

Inf

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Relating Data, Information, and

Knowledge to Events
Knowledge

Information
System

Information

Use of
information

Decision

Events

Knowledge

Data

Purposes of Data, Information & Knowledge

WHY use Data, Information and

Knowledge?

WHEN use them?

Purposes of Data, Information & Knowledge

Planning (resources, possibilities)

Monitoring & Controlling (activities implementation)

Recording Transactions (Documentation)

Performance Measurement (costs, revenues,

volumes, time scales & profitability)

Decision Making

Any Questions!
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Group Activity:
Provide 3 Examples of Differences
between Data, Information and Knowledge
in each group.

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