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Chapter 1 The Importance of MIS
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makes a difference or if it presents data in a meaningful context, then it fits two of the definitions
of information, and it’s tempting to say that the graph contains information.
However, show that graph to your family dog. Does your dog find information in that graph?
Well, nothing about Amazon.com, anyway. The dog might learn what you had for lunch, but it
won’t obtain any information about Amazon.com’s stock price over time.
Reflect on this experiment and you will realize that the graph is not, itself, information.
The graph is data that you and other humans perceive, and from that perception you conceive
information. In short, if it’s on a piece of paper or on a digital screen, it’s data. If it’s in the mind of
a human, it’s information.
Why, you’re asking yourself, do I care? Well, for one, it further explains why you, as a human,
are the most important part of any information system you use. The quality of your thinking, of
your ability to conceive information from data, is determined by your cognitive skills. The data is
just the data; the information you conceive from it is the value that you add to the information system.
Furthermore, people have different perceptions and points of view. Not surprisingly, then, they
will conceive different information from the same data. You cannot say to someone, “Look, it’s right
there in front of you, in the data” because it’s not right there in the data. Rather, it’s in your head and
in their heads, and your job is to explain what you have conceived so that others can understand it.
Finally, once you understand this, you’ll understand that all kinds of common sentences make
no sense. “I sent you that information” cannot be true. “I sent you the data, from which you con-
ceived the information” is the most we can say. During your business career, this observation will
save you untold frustration if you remember to apply it.

Q1-6 What Are Necessary Data Characteristics?

You have just learned that humans conceive information from data. As stated, the quality of the
information that you can create depends, in part, on your thinking skills. It also depends, however,
on the quality of the data you are given. Figure 1-10 summarizes critical data characteristics.

Accurate

First, good information is conceived from accurate, correct, and complete data that has been
processed correctly as expected. Accuracy is crucial; business professionals must be able to rely
on the results of their information systems. The IS function can develop a bad reputation in
the organization if a system is known to produce inaccurate data. In such a case, the informa-
tion system becomes a waste of time and money as users develop work-arounds to avoid the
inaccurate data.
A corollary to this discussion is that you, a future user of information systems, ought not to
rely on data just because it appears in the context of a Web page, a well-formatted report, or a fancy
query. It is sometimes hard to be skeptical of data delivered with beautiful, active graphics. Do not
be misled. When you begin to use a new information system, be skeptical. Cross-check the data
you are receiving. After weeks or months of using a system, you may relax. Begin, however, with
skepticism. Again, you cannot conceive accurate information from inaccurate data.

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for Good Information