What is Data

The term data means groups of information that represent the qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data (plural of "datum", which is seldom used) are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which information and knowledge are derived. Raw data refers to a collection of numbers, characters, images or other outputs from devices that collect inforation to convert physical quantities into symbols, that are unprocessed.