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Data: Form to inform

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Significance

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Abstract

In much popular usage, the terms data and information are not only bandied about a lot; they are frequently used interchangeably. For example, people speak of both data and information transmission, of data stores and information stores, and of data manipulation and information processing. In this chapter we elaborate upon the nature of what we referred to in Chapter 2 as forma. Forma relates to the physical and empirics levels of signs upon the semiotics ladder. Part of the reason for considering the nature of forma is that doing so helps us to better understand and to provide greater precision to the concept of data as well as highlighting the many differences between data and information.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, UK

    Paul Beynon-Davies (Professor of Organisational Informatics)

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  1. Paul Beynon-Davies
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© 2011 Paul Beynon-Davies

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Beynon-Davies, P. (2011). Data: Form to inform. In: Significance. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230295025_6

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