Information is used every day; the term is commonplace. However, the definition is varied according to its context. According to the Macmillan Dictionary, information is ‘knowledge or facts about someone or something.’ This is a simplistic definition of a frequently used term.
One perspective on how to define the attributes of information is the data-knowledge continuum. I devised a table to illustrate the concept.
| Chaos | Symbols are random and not organised into groups. | @, 5, %, t, Q, *, £, S, P, v, s, 8,e,m |
| Data | The meaning of the symbols(in this case, letters) is organised into groups. However, the understanding of the symbols is not essential. | S, m, a, f, P, t, l, L, e, t, a,e |
| Information | Symbols (the letters) are making connections. The letters are forming words. | Stem, Leaf, Petal |
| Knowledge | The data is organised to convey meaning or context. | A stem, leaf and petals are all parts of a plant |
| Wisdom | An individual uses the data for a higher purpose and applies the knowledge to another context. | Identify the stem, leaf and petals by labelling the diagram of the plant. |
Macmillan Education. (2020). Information. In Macmillan dictionary. https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/american/information
