Data
“The spirit of Plato dies hard. We have been unable to escape the philosophical tradition that what we can see and measure in the world is merely the superficial and imperfect representation of an underlying reality.”
—Stephen Jay Gould, The Mismeasure of Man
“Data! Data! Data!” he cried impatiently. “I cannot make bricks without clay.”
—Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of the Copper Beaches”
Purpose
This chapter presents an extended definition of the concept of data. Understanding what data is and how it works is essential for measuring its quality. The chapter focuses on data’s role in representing objects, events, and concepts. It also discusses the relation between data and information.
Data
The New Oxford American Dictionary defines ...
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