Talking Data | Part one

Sulaiman Kareem
Nov 7 · 2 min read

“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data.” Sherlock Holmes, “A Study in Scarlett” (Arthur Conan Doyle).

I have been fascinated by data, the power of it and the use of data. where data can lead communities to understand and analyze the ups and downs of their lives.

I came across data once when I was kid reading tables in books hidden in the top shelf of my grandfather’s library. But,“ What is the benefit of these tables and charts?” I asked. and this question was an introduction to a world of numbers, text, date, and timings.

Last week, after nearly a decade or so. I was lucky enough to have a thoughtful conversation about data with a senior data analyst and a Ph.D. researcher Saja Alnahi. and I asked the same question.

“To understand what is data, We need to understand the difference between data and information” — Saja Alnahi

The business dictionary defines data as the raw facts and statistics, whereas Information is Data that is accurate and timely; specific and organized for a purpose; presented within a context that gives it meaning and relevance, and can lead to an increase in understanding and decrease in uncertainty.

and Another way to look at information is as data that has been interpreted and then presented in a more meaningful context. that allows a business to make decisions.

We talked about the misconceptions of data needs, benefits and uses also. throughout her experience as an analyst, Saja noticed one interesting misconception among organizations and agencies which is More Data Translates to Higher Accuracy.

Saja continued “ If you’re going to start collecting large stores of information and use modern systems and tools to analyze said information, this is one misconception you need to eliminate right now. More data does not necessarily mean higher accuracy. It doesn’t mean more insights, nor does it mean you’re getting more value out of your data. Data all by itself is worth absolutely nothing.”

  • End of part one.
Sulaiman Kareem

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