What is Data?

What is Data?
Brought to you by the University of Houston Libraries

We hear the word “data” all of the time. It is collected, analyzed, shared, hacked, bought and sold.

But what exactly is data?

Data are collected observations or measurements represented as text, numbers, or multimedia.

When we think of data we may immediately think of numbers but data can also be

Field notes
Videos
Audio recordings
Photographs
Documents and
Transcripts

What you consider to be data will be different depending on your area of research.

For example, if you’re researching the impact of wildfires on national parks your data may be satellite maps and images.

But if you’re researching graduation rates of college students with faculty mentors your data might be the number of graduates each year and the amount of time taken to earn their degree.

Data will be different based on what you study.

Data can be broadly categorized as qualitative or quantitative.

Quantitative data can be expressed as a number, and counted or compared on a numerical scale.

This would include such things as rating scales from surveys, temperatures observed, or measurements gathered.

It could also include things like counts of words used in a book or the number of attendees at an event.

Qualitative data are information about qualities or characteristics that cannot be expressed as a number. They aren't easily measured.

Qualitative data include things like textual descriptions of events, maps, pictures, or transcripts.

There are other ways to categorize data, but most fall in one of these two broad categories.

Data are not the same as statistics.

Statistics are the result of data analysis and interpretation, so be sure not to use the two words interchangeably.

Analyzing and interpreting data can help you identify patterns and trends, offer solutions to complex problems, or better understand scientific phenomena.

Data are powerful aids in our attempt to understand the world.

The stuff below is just for the YouTube description:
Sites consulted:

[keaobakatagobe]

data is unorganized facts while information is organized data... means that data refers to raw, unprocessed facts and figures without context. These facts can be numbers, words, measurements, observations, etc., and on their own, they don't convey any specific meaning. Information, on the other hand, is what you get when data is processed, organized, and structured in a way that adds context and relevance, making it useful and meaningful for decision-making or understanding. For example, individual test scores (data) become informative when they are averaged to determine a class's overall performance (information).

[dikyarya]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

00:12 📊 Data are collected observations or measurements, including text, numbers, or multimedia.
00:28 📷 Data can encompass field notes, videos, audio, photos, documents, and transcripts.
00:56 🔢 The type of data you have depends on your research area, ranging from satellite maps to graduation rates.
01:09 📈 Data can be categorized as quantitative (numbers) or qualitative (text, images).
01:51 📊 Data and statistics are not the same; statistics result from data analysis and interpretation.

Made with HARPA AI

[mahkamtashrahimi]

Hello, this was very nice.
Can I use this video as resource for a school?

[TheFartbreakKid]

My data is mostly made up of hardcore pornography searches. Have fun with that, hackers😂

[cvofveu]

Data is not truth but entertainment and curiosity....

[mr.respect]

Shi hai.
Mam waise mujhe Google me job chahiye Wo puchhenge What is Data.
Mai pura vedio Dikha dunga.

[donharris]

I think that this definition is insufficient. A dog barking is data, the strength of a candle’s scent is also data.