Data as raw facts – UGC NET Question

Data in information systems terminology represents unprocessed symbols, numbers or observations that by themselves may lack context or interpretation. When data are organised and analysed, they become information that conveys meaning. Recognising this distinction is fundamental to understanding how ICT supports decision-making. Thus the raw facts described in the stem are called data.

Option A:
Option A, information, implies that data have been summarised or interpreted so that they become meaningful to users. The stem explicitly states that meaning has not yet been conveyed, which contradicts the notion of information.

Option B:
Option B, knowledge, goes even further by integrating information with experience, insight and judgment. It represents a higher level of understanding and cannot describe raw, unprocessed items.

Option C:
Option C is correct because textbooks in ICT and management information systems consistently define data as raw facts and figures. The transformation from data to information is a key process enabled by computer systems.

Option D:
Option D, wisdom, stands at the top of the data–information–knowledge–wisdom hierarchy and incorporates ethical and long-term perspectives, making it far removed from unprocessed facts.