🔬Data Science: Data Processing (Definitions)

"The act of turning raw data into meaningful output, generally associated with computers." (Greg Perry, "Sams Teach Yourself Beginning Programming in 24 Hours" 2nd Ed., 2001)

"Any process that converts data into information. The processing is usually assumed to be automated and running on an information system." (Eleutherios A Papathanassiou & Xenia J Mamakou, "Privacy Issues in Public Web Sites", Handbook of Research on Public Information Technology, 2008) 

"Obtaining, recording or holding the data, or carrying out any operation on the data, including organising, adapting or altering it. Retrieval, consultation or use of the data, disclosure of the data, and alignment, combination, blocking, erasure or destruction of the data are all legally classed as processing." (Mark Olive, "SHARE: A European Healthgrid Roadmap", 2009)

"The operation performed on data through capture, transformation, and storage, in order to derive new information according to a given set of rules." (DAMA International, "The DAMA Dictionary of Data Management", 2011)

"Collection and elaboration of sensing data with the aim to derivate/infer new knowledge from original raw data." (Paolo Bellavista et al, "Crowdsensing in Smart Cities: Technical Challenges, Open Issues, and Emerging Solution Guidelines", 2015)

"The act of data manipulation through integration of mathematical tools, statistics, and computer application to generate information." (Babangida Zubairu, "Security Risks of Biomedical Data Processing in Cloud Computing Environment", 2018)

"Any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction." (Yordanka Ivanova, "Data Controller, Processor, or Joint Controller: Towards Reaching GDPR Compliance in a Data- and Technology-Driven World", 2020)

"Data processing is any action performed to turn raw data into useful information." (Xplenty) [source]

"Data processing occurs when data is collected and translated into usable information. […] Data processing starts with data in its raw form and converts it into a more readable format (graphs, documents, etc.), giving it the form and context necessary to be interpreted by computers and utilized by employees throughout an organization." (Talend) [source]