Data

A datum is a ''statement accepted at face value'' (a "given"). Data is the plural of ''datum''. A large class of practically important statements are measurements or observations of a variable. Such statements may comprise numbers, words, or images. ==Etymology== The word ''data'' is the plural of Latin ''datum'', neuter past participle of ''dare'', "to give", hence "something given". The past participle of "to give" has been used for millennia, in the sense of a statement accepted at face value; one of the works of Euclid, circa 300 BC, was the ''Dedomena'' (in Latin, ''Data''). In discussions of problems in geometry, mathematics, engineering, and so on, the terms ''givens'' and ''data'' are used interchangeably. Such usage is the origin of ''data'' as a concept in computer science: ''data'' are numbers, words, images, etc., accepted as they stand. ==Usage in English== In English_language, the word ''datum'' is still used in the general sense of "something given", and more specifically in cartography, geography, geology, and Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing to mean a reference point, reference line, or reference surface. The Latin plural ''data'' is also used as a plural in English, but it is also commonly treated as a mass noun and used in the singular. For example, "This is all the data from the experiment". This usage is inconsistent with the rules of Latin grammar, which would suggest "These are the data ...", each measurement or result being a single ''datum''. However, given the variety and irregularity of English plural constructions, there seem to be no grounds for arguing that ''data'' is incorrect as a singular mass noun in English. ==Uses of ''data'' in computing== ''Raw data'' are numbers, character (computing), images or other outputs from devices to convert physical quantities into symbols, in a very broad sense. Such data are typically further process by a human or input into a computer, Computer storage and processed there, or transmitted (output) to another human or computer. ''Raw data'' is a relative term; data processing commonly occurs by stages, and the "processed data" from one stage may be considered the "raw data" of the next. Mechanical computing devices are classified according to the means by which they represent data. An analog computer represents a datum as a voltage, distance, position, or other physical quantity. A digital computer represents a datum as a sequence of symbols drawn from a fixed alphabet. The most common digital computers use a binary alphabet, that is, an alphabet of two characters, typically denoted "0" and "1". More familiar representations, such as numbers and letters, are then constructed from the binary alphabet. Some special forms of data are distinguished. A computer program is a collection of data which can be interpreted as instructions. Most computer languages make a distinction between programs and the other data on which programs operate, but in some languages, notably Lisp programming language and similar languages, programs are essentially indistinguishable from other data. It is also useful to distinguish Metadata (computing), that is, a description of other data. The prototypical example of metadata is the library catalog, which is a description of the contents of books. ==Meaning of data and information== Data on its own may have no meaning, and only when interpreted by some kind of data processing system may it take on meaning and become information. People or computers can find pattern in data to perceive information, and information can be used to enhance knowledge. Since knowledge is prerequisite to wisdom, we always want more data and information. But, as modern societies verge on information overload, we especially need better ways to find patterns. ==See also== *Data management *Data mining *Data modeling *Data processing *Data recovery *Data remanence and data destruction techniques *Data warehouse *Database *Datasheet *Statistics *Metadata == References == Data_management fa:داده simple:Data su:Data

Data

It look difficult for me to understand ''A datum is a statement accepted at face value.''. What do think about definition and explanations like this: Data is ~evidence (or some another term) on the input of information system. Data is subject of data processing by information system. Data could contain usefull information and could not. I think, it is good, when a definition uses other wikipedia terms. Not just plain English. User:Kenny sh 08:30, 10 May 2004 (UTC) ::Also I think the current definition is wrong. A datum is a datum regardless of whether or not it is accepted. --user talk:BozMoUser:BozMo 10:36, 23 May 2004 (UTC) :::Wouldn't it be better be to say \"Data is an indefinite number of Ratio.\", and \"A datum is a single ratio.\"? -User:Inyuki 19:32, 11 Nov 2004 (UTC) :Hello. There are a couple of serious problems with the above definition. The main problem is that it says data has to do with "information systems", "data processing", and "information". Either it's assumed these terms have to do with computers, in which case this definition is much too narrow, or not, in which case it's needlessly vague. A secondary problem is that the definition can't be understood without looking up some other terms. The existing definition, which uses only ordinary English words, is terse, comprehensible, and yet quite general. The proposed new definition does not have these merits. Regards, User:Wile E. Heresiarch 14:06, 10 May 2004 (UTC) ---- A separate page for ''datum'' is needed. In geology/cartography/geography and surveying a ''datum'' is a reference surface. For instance, sea-level is often used as a datum below which depths (or above which heights) are measured. ---- Hello COMPATT, to address your comments about the distinction between data and information -- I agree that programs are a form of data, but I think it's important to keep in mind that the word "data" has a history of usage that goes back much farther than computer science. The distinction between data and information, which is made in the article, is that information is derived from an interpretation of data. Some data don't have any obvious interpretation, and so we might noodle over ancient inscriptions for a long time, but some other data have such an immediate interpretation, especially in a given cultural context, that the interpretation is held to be the same as the data -- for example if I look at a photograph, I might immediately see "a dog" instead of "a pattern of silver particles which suggests a dog". I think the interpretation aspect, and its dependence on context, might be emphasized in the article. Well, I've rambled on long enough! Have a great day, User:Wile E. Heresiarch 14:33, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC) ---- Hello, as a comment on the edit that I just made. I put a new, short intro paragraph at the beginning, to hopefully get straight to the point. (The article was noodling around in etymology a little too much before getting to the punch line. Hopefully that's corrected now.) As the term "data" is rather general, I've attempted to give a general definition, and then immediately describe one of the most-used types of data (measurements & observations). I'm hoping that there is a right level of generality now. Happy editing, User:Wile E. Heresiarch 15:44, 19 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Data

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