What is data: This is information, often in the form of
facts or figures obtained from experiments or surveys, used as a basis for
making calculations or drawing conclusions.
Data is a very important element
for our modern world we simply cannot ignore its importance in all aspects of
modernity. Social dynamics can all be measured and determined through proper
and timely analysis of data elements which can determine the decisions to be
made in the current situations and proper prediction of future trends. Data is
the foundation for modernity, the strongest determinant of myriad aspects of
our life.
Measure of growth and
progress
Data is used as a tool for determining the growth and
progress of any establishment in our society e.g. a company, business,
organization etc. Figures with facts enable us to determine how far a certain
development has progressed over a period of time through making comparisons of
past data elements and present data elements e.g. amount of sales in a period
of time.
Used for planning and
decision making
Figures with facts can be used to determine the amounts of
what we require in order to continue operating normally or increase
productions. E.g. the amount of raw materials required in order for certain
industrial process to yield desired results may be determined by the amount of
finished products gotten over a period of time.
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| Some Data Elements showing a decision based on passmark of 300 Marks. |
Used For future
forecasting and projection
An analysis of certain data elements and their trend may be
used to project a future trend of a related element with a good degree of
accuracy. E.g. A nation can determine the amount of petroleum products it needs
to import in the future depending on the number of vehicles being imported now.
Historical reference
for organizations
Data can be saved whether online or offline in various
storage media which can later be used for future reference. Stored data may
also be useful to restore a certain operation into its normality should there
be a loss of the present data elements. The act of storing data for future use
can be referred to as back-up. The storage devices may be flash disks, Optical
media, Tape backups etc
A basis for
organizational modeling
Here am referring to a model as a simplified version of
something complex used in analyzing and solving problems or making predictions.
The data produced by technical people like statisticians, data managers, etc
may be simplified for the rest of the people to understand and aid in making
decisions.
Used for implementing
Quality Control
Data elements may be used for setting general standards for
grading something e.g. a social-economic process. A good example is where the
secondary schools determines the cut-off for admitting new students to form one
in national schools category, all these major decisions are based on analyzing
the available data elements and establishing the standards governing admission
to the various schools.
Source of pride for
organizations
Organizations may look upon their data elements which
represent factual information e.g. production and feel the satisfaction of
having a good trend in production which enhance their profit margins. The
source of this pride is in the available data.
A basis for
ideologies and hypothesis
An ideology is set of beliefs, values, and opinions that
shapes the way a person or a group such as a social class thinks, acts, and
understands the world. The availability of reliable data can shape the
formation of an ideology e.g. How many customers do we serve every month? Does
an increase in rainfall determine our sales in fertilizer? Etc
A hypothesis is a tentative explanation for a phenomenon,
used as a basis for further investigation. A good example is the relationship
between an increase in industrialization and global warming. So we can easily
form a hypothesis like this, is there a relationship between forest fires in
Mt. Kenya due to dry spells of climatic conditions and an increase in
industries in Nyeri town? (It’s near Mt. Kenya), then use the available figures
to draw a conclusion
What more uses of Data do you know?
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