CIE AS-Level Information Technology (9626)

Data

Collection of letters, numbers, and symbols with no meaning on its own

Information

Processed data that has structure, meaning, and context

Direct Data Source

• Data that is collected from an original source. No need to request data from a third-party source.

• The data is new and never existed before.

• Data is collected for a specific task and used for that specific task.

Methods of collecting DDS

• Questionnaire

• Interview

• Data logging and sensors

• Observations

• Survey

Advantages of DDS

• Accurate

• Relevant

• The original data source is known and trusted

• Only data that is needed is collected

• Can sell this data to other organizations

• Less chance of sampling bias

Disadvantages of DDS

• Time-consuming; data may be obsolete by the time data collection is done

• Expensive, as companies may need to be hired to collect data. May have to purchase data logging equipment

• Difficult to process statistical data

• Sample size may be small; less accuracy

Indirect Data Source

• Data is collected from a third-party source

• Data is old and already exists

• Data is collected for a specific task but not used for that specific task

Methods of IDS

• Electoral register

• Organisations collecting personal data and selling it to other organisations

Advantages of IDS

• Data is immediately available

• Less expensive and time-consuming

• Data likely to be collected from large samples

• Can gather data that may not be possible to gather yourself

• Data can be of higher quality as they have already been processed

Disadvantages of IDS

• Some data may be extra

• Some required data is absent

• Original source of data is not known; not as trusted

• Data may be obsolete

• Sampling bias