14.2 The relationship between data, information, and knowledge

The relationship between data, information, and knowledge can be described as follows: data consist of collections of concrete facts, measurements or observations. Once data have been categorised, analysed, interpreted and summarised to give them structure and meaning, they become information (statistics). When human experience, expert opinion, and insight are applied to information, it is transformed into knowledge. Data are the basic facts; information is data with context; knowledge is processed information with meaning. Taken a step further, wisdom is knowledge coupled with judgment or insight.

As an example, taking the temperature of a patient generates a number: this is data. Checking the temperature and comparing it against other facts indicates that the patient has a high temperature: this is information. Based on this and other information, a doctor uses expertise to conclude the patient has a particular type of fever: this is knowledge. The doctor then uses wisdom to prescribe an appropriate cure.