Data, Information and Knowledge
“We live in a highly connected world with social media sites becoming a prominent part of many people’s daily life increased further by smart devices. This has increased the information explosion (or “data explosion”?(1)) with many people’s movements, habits, likes, dislikes and numerous other patterns being captured. To benefit from this continuously increasing knowledge base, knowing how to interpret the data for use to drive decision making is crucial.”
The above paragraph is simply confusing. The terms data, information and knowledge, are used interchangeably, but it is correct to do so, and is one person’s data another person’s information?
The DIKW model(2) depicts a linear continuity upwards from data to information to knowledge (and wisdom) implying information is derived from data, and knowledge from information. Ackoff views understanding as a separate level above knowledge(3), however Bollinger et al. insist , “it is understanding, that support the transition from each stage to the next”(4). Surely it makes more sense to view understanding as knowing the context to apply. As Callahan stated, “context is a key ingredient acting as an underlay to all three concepts of data, information and knowledge”(5).
Ackoff believes data is, “raw. It simply exists…It does not have meaning of itself” (6). However, it can be argued that data cannot be collected without first understanding what is being collected which implies data has context, although the data may be unstructured, factual and have “nothing to teach us”(7). Snowden states, “Better to think that KNOWLEDGE is one way we collect INFORMATION from DATA”(8). The writer would go further and insist knowledge has gone into defining the data, a view shared by Fricke (9).
One person’s data IS another person’s information if the latter has understanding of the context surrounding the data and is informed. Shedroff states, “If it does not inform, it can’t be information”(10). By arranging and presenting data in ways that can provide answers, we have information to those that understand the questions relating to the “context and intent of the person interpreting it”(11).
Context is applied from real world knowledge already possess. Shedroff states, “Knowledge is more personal and relies on the individuals interpretation of the information absorbed and how it should be applied, hence build from personal experience“(12). Information thus becomes knowledge when it is understood how it can be applied. Einstein agrees stating, “Knowledge is experience. Everything else is information”(13). Some believe knowledge is an iterative process, as Whitehorn wrote, “we take it in and incorporate it into our existing understanding of the world and end up with a deeper and/or broader knowledge”(14).
T.S.Elliot wrote “Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?”(15). It is imperative that the terms and their transitions are properly understood, as Ingebrigtsen states, “you can better understand how to make better decisions based on the accurate facts”(16). Without capturing the correct data, information cannot enlighten, but it can also be difficult to “clarify what is mis-information, dis-information, or propaganda”(17), leading to no or inaccurate applications of knowledge. Although “data is always correct…information can be wrong”, because “the data changes over time”(18), hence the “information may not be an accurate reflection of the data”(19). As Wurman states, “organisation of data itself changes the meaning of it, or at least its interpretation”(20).
So after all this, are we any closer to understanding what is data, what is information and what is knowledge. Looking at the vast numbers of differing points of view, it is simply down to interpretation. One view held in common is that there is a difference between the three terms and that they are not really interchangeable. (The potential danger of mixing the terms has also been discussed). However the main variant in view is of when and how data becomes information, and information becomes knowledge. This can be pictured on a sliding scale for when one term changes into another. Here, the link between context and understanding can be crutial with it’s application being key.
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1 Richard Saul Wurman, Information Anxiety, 1991, pg. 38
2 Nikhil Sharma, The origins of the Data Information Knowledge Wisdom Hierachy, 2004:
http://go.webassistant.com/wa/upload/users/u1000057/webpage_10248.html
3 Gene Bellinger, David Castro and Anthony Mills, Data, Information, Knowledge and Wisdom cites Russell Ackoff: http://www.systems-thinking.org/dikw/dikw.htm
4 Gene Bellinger, David Castro and Anthony Mills, Data, Information, Knowledge and Wisdom: http://www.systems-thinking.org/dikw/dikw.htm
5 Shaun Callahan, Data, Information and Knowledge: a sensemaking perspective, 2006: http://www.anecdote.com.au/archives/2006/03/data_informatio.html
6 Gene Bellinger, David Castro and Anthony Mills, Data, Information, Knowledge and Wisdom cites Russell Ackoff: http://www.systems-thinking.org/dikw/dikw.htm
7 Richard Wurman, Information Anxiety 2, 2000, cites Nathan Shedroff, pg. 28
8 Patrick Lambe citing Dave Snowden at the KM4Dev Listserve
http://www.greenchameleon.com/gc/blog_detail/from_data_with_love/
9 Patrick Lambe, Blowing up the Pyramid, cites Martin Fricke: http://www.greenchameleon.com/gc/blog_detail/blowing_up_the_pyramid/
10 Richard Wurman, Information Anxiety 2, 2000, cites Nathan Shedroff, pg. 28
11 Richard Wurman, Information Anxiety 2, 2000, cites Nathan Shedroff, pg. 28
12 Richard Wurman, Information Anxiety 2, 2000, cites Nathan Shedroff, pg. 28
13 Milan Zeleny. Human Systems Management:Integrating Knowledge, Management and Systems, 2005, pg 5
14 Mark Whitehorn, Data, Information and Knowledge – it’s all about context. Published in the Server Management 2007 paper
15 T.S Eliot, The Rock (poem), 1934
16 N Ingebrigtsen, The Difference Between Data, Information and Knowledge: http://www.infogineering.net/data-information-knowledge.htm
17 Richard Saul Wurman, Information Anxiety, 1991, pg. 42
18 N Ingebrigtsen, The Difference Between Data, Information and Knowledge: http://www.infogineering.net/data-information-knowledge.htm
19 N Ingebrigtsen, The Difference Between Data, Information and Knowledge: http://www.infogineering.net/data-information-knowledge.htm
20 Richard Wurman, Information Anxiety 2, 2000, cites Nathan Shedroff, pg. 28
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