In terms of ICT, data is simply any numbers, letters or symbols that can be entered into a computer system.

Without a context the data is meaningless. But, if we provide a context for our data, it becomes something far more useful: information. With context, data has meaning - it is now information.

 The collection of data from surveys, or from independent or networked locations via data capture, data entry, or data logging. The purpose of data collection is to obtain information to keep on record, to make decisions about important issues, to pass information on to others. Primarily, data is collected to provide information regarding a specific topic

Methods of Data Collection

EXPERIMENTATION
Experimentation is a research process used to study the causal relationships between variables. It aims at studying the effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable, by keeping the other independent variables constant through some type of control. The applications of experimental method are Laboratory Experiment, and Field Experiment.

INTERVIEWING
Interviewing is one of the major methods of data collection. It may be defined as two-way systematic conversation between an investigator and an informant, initiated for obtaining information relevant to as a specific study. It involves not only conversation, but also learning from the respondents gestures, facial expressions and pauses, and his environment. Interviewing requires face-to-face contact or contact over telephone and calls for interviewing skills. It is done by using a structured schedule or an unstructured guide.

OBSERVATION
Observation means viewing or seeing. We go on observing some thing or other while we are awake. Most of such observations are just casual and have no specific purpose. But observation as a method of data collection is different from such casual viewing. Observation may be defined as a systematic viewing of a specific incident in its proper setting or the specific purpose of gathering data for a particular study. Observation as a method includes both 'seeing' and 'hearing.

SURVEYS Census. A census refers to data collection about everyone or everything in a group or population and has advantages, such as accuracy and detail and disadvantages, such as cost and time. Sample survey A sample survey is a data collection method that includes only part of the total population and has advantages, such as cost and time and disadvantages, such as accuracy and detail. attributes.

An interview can also be classified as a survey.

MAIL SURVEY

DOCUMENTS Other methods of data collection This is the most simple, easy areand obvious method of data 1. The Panel Method- is a collection. method of data collection, by Data can be collected from any which data is collected from form of document- forms, the same sample magazines, newspapers, respondents at intervals books, etc. either by mail or by personal interview. 2. Sociometry- is a method for discovering, describing and evaluating social status, structure, and development through measuring the extent of acceptance or rejection between individuals in groups.

 Validation is about making sure that the data entered is sensible and possible and within reasonable bounds. Just because the data is reasonable and possible does NOT mean that it is CORRECT. Validation can be performed at almost any stage of the data processing cycle, from data collection to final output of information. There are many different validation techniques that can be used, some more appropriate than others depending on the particular data item.

Field Presence Check

To ensure that all necessary fields are present. This checks that an entry has been made for the field. For example, the Surname field in an order form cannot be left blank. is a required field. To ensure that an item of data has the correct number of characters. It determines the minimum and maximum length of the field. It can make sure the minimum has been entered - for example a date must have at least 6 numbers in it e.g. 16/10/04. If only 5 numbers have been entered, it will generate an error. It can also check the maximum length, for example a phone number cannot have more than 12 numbers. To ensure that data value is within a pre-determined range. This checks a value to be within a certain range of values. For example, the month of a year must be between 1 and 12. Numbers less than 1 or greater than 12 would be rejected.

Field Length Check

Range Check

To ensure the individual characters that make up the data are valid - e.g. no letters in numerical data. This checks that data is of the right format, that it is made up of the correct Format check (also called a combination of alphabetic and numeric characters. A National Insurance picture check) number must be in the form of XX 99 99 99 X. The first two and the last characters must be letters. The other six characters are numbers. The total length is nine characters. Any other format is rejected.

To ensure the individual characters that make up the data are valid - e.g. no letters in numerical data. This checks that data is of the right format, that it is made up of the Format check (also called correct combination of alphabetic and numeric characters. A National a picture check) Insurance number must be in the form of XX 99 99 99 X. The first two and the last characters must be letters. The other six characters are numbers. The total length is nine characters. Any other format is rejected. This is concerned with Batch processing - see later. The total number of records in the batch should be calculated by the computer and compared with the figure on the batch header. The control totals and hash totals are also calculated and compared. Allows a number to be self-checking. This is used to check the validity of code numbers, for example product codes in a supermarket or bank account numbers. These numbers are long and prone to data entry errors. It is crucial that such numbers are entered correctly so that the right record in the file or database is identified. Check Digit A check digit is an extra digit added to the end of the original code. The value of the check digit is determined by the value and positioning of the other digits: for any given code there is only one possible check digit. When code has been entered, the check digit is calculated and compared to the entered value. If the two digits do not match, an error is reported.

Batch header check

 When data is transcribed from one medium to another there is always a danger that errors will be introduced. The copy will not then be the same as the original. This is particularly true if the transcription is being done manually as when a human operator reads a source document and uses a keyboard to transcribe the data to a computer readable format (key to disc or key to tape systems). Verification is used to check that data is entered correctly and that there are no transcription errors.

 If data has been copied automatically from one format to another then the computer will automatically compare the two versions and inform the user of are any differences. You have probably come across another example of verification when setting a new password - you are usually asked to key the password in a second time to ensure that you didn't make a keying error the first time, as it is not echoed on the screen. The main aim of verification is to trap transcription errors errors in transferring the source data into the computer. It cannot guarantee accuracy: - If the original data was incorrect the data will be entered wrongly - If the data was entered twice, it may have been entered twice incorrectly - If the data was being manually checked, mistakes can creep in.

 Data should be stored on removable disk such as flash drives, hard drives, cds etc. Another way to store data is storing them in your email. In your email, data will remain safe and accessible only to you.

 We refer to a collection of data stored in a computer system as a file. Files are often organised into folders. Whenever you click Save in an application, burn files to a CD-R, copy music onto your MP3 player, or drag and drop a file onto memory stick, you are using storage devices - devices that can store and retrieve data. Serial / Sequential Access A serial (or sequential) access storage device is one that stores files oneby-one in a sequence. A non-computer serial access device that will be familiar to you is a VHS videotape. Because video is stored on a long piece of tape, when TV shows are recorded onto the tape, they go on one-by-one, in order...

 If you want to watch a show that you recorded earlier, you have to rewind / fast-forward through all other shows until you find it. The shows are only accessible in the same order that you recorded them. This type of one-by-one storage and access is called serial access.

Direct / Random Access A direct (or random) access storage device is one that stores files so that they can be instantly accessed - there is no need to search through other files to get to the one you want.

An example of a direct access device would be a DVD movie. Unlike the VHS videotape movie, you can jump to any scene on a DVD.
All parts of the DVD are directly accessible. This type of file storage is called direct access.

By using passwords By using fingerprint/handprint By encrypting data By using eye recognition

 The record key specifies the data item within the record that is the prime record key for an indexed file. The values contained in the prime record key data item must be unique among records in the file. Record key is the same as primary key. It uniquely identifies a record/field in a database. For example, if there are two record with the same name, it wont get mixed up as there will be a record/primary key given to each record. So each of them will be uniquely identified

 File ordering is just the order your files are put in. File sorting is sorting your files in a particular folder according to its size, alphabetical order, date created, type, etc. File merging is simply merging two files generally with same type of data or information to create one file.