Data Management: Information (Definitions)

"Information is data that increases the knowledge of the person who consumes it. Information is distinguished from data in that data may or may not be meaningful whereas information is always meaningful. For example, the numeric portion of an address is data, but it is not information." (Microsoft Corporation, "Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 Data Warehouse Training Kit", 2000)

"Usable, processed data, typically output from a computer program." (Greg Perry, "Sams Teach Yourself Beginning Programming in 24 Hours" 2nd Ed., 2001)

"Data that has been processed in such a way that it can increase the knowledge of the person who receives it." (Sharon Allen & Evan Terry, "Beginning Relational Data Modeling" 2nd Ed., 2005)

"data that human beings assimilate and evaluate to solve a problem or make a decision." (William H Inmon, "Building the Data Warehouse", 2005)

"Information is data with context. It can be externally validated and is independent of applications." (Tom Petrocelli, "Data Protection and Information Lifecycle Management", 2005)

"Information can be defined as all inputs that people process to gain understanding." (Martin J Eppler, "Managing Information Quality" 2nd Ed., 2006)

"Sets of data presented in a context. Information about a business and its environment." (Steve Williams & Nancy Williams, "The Profit Impact of Business Intelligence", 2007)

"1.Generally, understanding concerning any objects such as facts, events, things, processes, or ideas, including concepts that, within a certain context and timeframe, have a particular meaning." (DAMA International, "The DAMA Dictionary of Data Management", 2011)

"Data that have been organized so they have meaning and value to the recipient." (Linda Volonino & Efraim Turban, "Information Technology for Management" 8th Ed, 2011)

"Refers to all or part of a raw data item, which, on examination, turns out to be of interest. Such interest can be justified by means of explicit criteria. Also denotes an observation conducted in the field." (Humbert Lesca & Nicolas Lesca, "Weak Signals for Strategic Intelligence: Anticipation Tool for Managers", 2011)

"The result of processing raw data to reveal its meaning. Information consists of transformed data and facilitates decision making." (Carlos Coronel et al, "Database Systems: Design, Implementation, and Management 9th Ed", 2011)

"Data with additional context in the form of metadata, including definition and relationships between data and possibly other information. Data in context with metadata makes information." (Craig S Mullins, "Database Administration", 2012)

"In the context of this book, a collection of descriptors derived from observation, measurement, calculation, inference, or imagination in a form that can be shared with or communicated to others, or both. The format can be tangible or intangible or some combination of both." (Kenneth A Shaw, "Integrated Management of Processes and Information", 2013)

"An organised and formatted collection of data" (David Sutton, "Information Risk Management: A practitioner’s guide", 2014)

"Any communication on or representation of facts or data in all forms (textual, graphical, audiovisual, digital)." (Gilbert Raymond & Philippe Desfray, "Modeling Enterprise Architecture with TOGAF", 2014)

"Data that has been organized or processed in a useful manner" (Nell Dale & John Lewis, "Computer Science Illuminated" 6th Ed., 2015)

"One view understands information to be content- and purpose- specific knowledge, which is exchanged during human communication. Another takes the view of a purely informational processing perspective, according to which data is the building blocks for information. Accordingly, data is processed into information." (Boris Otto & Hubert Österle, "Corporate Data Quality", 2015)

"Data that has been processed to create meaning. Information is intended to expand the knowledge of the person who receives it. Information is the output of decision support systems and information systems." (Ciara Heavin & Daniel J Power, "Decision Support, Analytics, and Business Intelligence 3rd Ed.", 2017)

"Organized or structured data, processed for a specific purpose to make it meaningful, valuable, and useful in specific contexts." (Project Management Institute, "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)", 2017)

"A structured collection of data presented in a form that people can understand and process. Information is converted into knowledge when it is contextualised with the rest of a person’s knowledge and world model." (Open Data Handbook)