Re: den.list-d Digest V00 #10

[Worthington.Jeffrey@epamail.epa.gov]

In regards to the following discussion on data and information......

 ""Placing numbers (DATA) on a process performance chart provides INFORMATION
about the variation affecting the
data. It allows one to determine if things are getting better, worse, or merely
in a steady state.

Therefore, I subscribe to a definition used by my good friend D.J. Wheeler that
says that "DATA are numbers, and nothing more, INFORMATION is the result of
rational analysis of data."
J Bruman Quality Assurance Manager""

I agree in the spirit of what is being said here and I think we need to be
cautious with our words as quality professionals because now the use of both
terms....data....and....information....  have new meanings; these meanings fall
outside our traditional use of the terms in a quality system.    A large part of
the economy revolves around information technology.  In the past, quality
professionals, managers, and even scientists viewed information and data as
supporting concepts to the overall management system.  Now, information and data
and the management of the information and data are the actual  products or
outcomes of many systems.  Therefore, as we become more concerned about
information as a procuct, we need to apply appropriate management systems for
quality.

The model that data are numbers and that information is the understanding of
this data may be at odds with other peple's understanding of the terminology.  I
have recently been faced with a similar issue.  In science, the researcher
considers data to be the numerical science measurement value.  In information
technology, the systems analysts considers data to be units of information for
input into a system.  Therefore, the definition of data quality for each party
is also different.

It might be interesting for the den.list group to explore the relationship of
quality systems to information systems and consider the meaning of the terms
DATA and INFORMATION...especially in light of the use of a related term,
(profound) KNOWLEDGE.  Related issues are data quality and information quality.

Jeff Worthington
Director of Quality Assurance
USEPA Office of Environmental Information
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