What is data?

• A. Raw unprocessed facts and figures
• B. Data that has been processed in a way that makes it meaningful for planning or decision making
• C. Financial data
• D. Data collected from various sources

Answer: (A)

Data are raw, unprocessed facts and figures. They have no meaning on their own until they’re gathered, organized, and interpreted. Different forms can appear as numbers, dates, descriptions, or observations from many sources. When data are processed—cleaned, organized, analyzed—they become information that supports planning or decision making. The idea that data are already processed to be meaningful describes information, not data. Financial data are just a subset, and data collected from sources describes gathering, not the essence of what data are. So the best fit is that data are raw, unprocessed facts and figures.