Let's start by understanding what data is! This entity, called data, is all around us. It is as omnipresent as God! Simply put, data is just a collection of facts.
A bunch of numbers like -0.879 and 348 are data. When you say statements like "My name is Sam" or "I love pizza," these are data. Formulas like "A =..." are just data. When it comes to computers, data is just a binary code of 0's and 1's.
Data is a collection of information. One of the goals of data science is to make data structured, interpretable, and easy to manipulate.
Data can be divided into two groups:
- Unstructured data: Unstructured data is unorganized. I need to organize the data for analysis.
- Structured data: Structured data is organized and easier to manipulate.
Data is a collection of specific small units of information. It can be used in various formats such as text, number, media, bytes, etc. It can be saved on paper or electronic memory.
The word "data" comes from the word "datum," which means "information". Plural form of data.
In computing, data is information that can be transformed into a format for efficient movement and processing. Data is exchangeable. Simply put, data can be facts related to any object under consideration. For example, your name, age, height, and weight are data that relate to you. Images, graphics, files, PDFs, etc., can also be considered data.
