Information Systems

Types of information
Types of collected data can come in four formats;
Qualitative Quantitative Primary

Secondary
2

The importance of information

Good information is key to any successful business as it defines what decisions and path it will choose. This means the information has to be accurate and reliable, and presented in the right level of detail to be effective. It also has to be valid to the objective, or it will be rendered useless.

Qualitative
This type of data: Is non numerical and opinion based. Is collected by asking people their views on something - whether it be an object, a person, or something non physical like a recently passed law ect. Can only be observed, there is no way to quantify or measure it.
P1 attempt

An example; A survey asks some town people what they think of a plan for a new monument to be built. The answers may range from I like it/think its a good idea because it will bring tourism here more money!, I dislike it/think its a bad idea as it will look ugly or no opinion/neutral because I dont really care. But the actual results from this survey, whatever they may be, can only be observed. This means they will be qualitative because the
answers are based on opinion, are non numerical and therefore unquantifiable.
Remember this: Qualitative Quality

Qualitative what its used for:

Qualitative methods are used to get information that you cannot obtain well with quantitative methods.
P1 attempt

Qualitative methods are used to study human behaviour and behaviour changes. They can be used to observe test groups and draw non factual but relevant conclusions. They can help companies gain commercial advantages by presenting the results that favour the company.

Quantitative
This type of data: Can be measured directly Can be considered factual information (as opposed to just opinion). Usually deals with numbers (since the end results irrelevant of the types of answer can be converted to a quantity).

This means that quantitative data can come from numerical, yes/no results of a test, to the opinion answers of a survey or poll. An example; A new electric economy car will cost about $30,000. Another example is the result of a multiple choice poll, which could also be converted to quantitative, by counting up the results and converting them in to a numerical format.

Remember this: Quantitative Quantity

P1 attempt

Quantitative - what its used for:

Quantitative data is used to form pithy and short results, that can be presented as factual. These results can be analysed to draw conclusions and help with decision making and advantageous influence. These can also support operations and influence procedures to go ahead, or not, if the data shows it to be viable.

P1 attempt

Primary
Primary Information is either information you collected for yourself or information that is original and not tampered with, for example letters, diaries, interviews ect. An example; An original piece of information such as a diary, with recordings of dates times and places, is a primary source of information.

P1 attempt

Primary - what its used for:

Primary data is usually used by secondary source producers, so it can support their data. It is useful to bypass the procedure of having to do your own tests or research to find out the facts. Helps to back up data when investigating/testing if it supports its normally reliable.

P1 attempt

Secondary
Secondary sources of information are basically evaluations of primary sources of information, i.e. secondary sources of information are obtained from the primary sources of information. They are usually revised and analysed to suit needs. An example; Information from a historical event recorded in a journal by a person who was there (a primary source) may be written up and presented as information in a publication(a secondary source) and unless its is rewritten word for word and in context, it will always be considered secondary.

10

P1 attempt

Secondary - what its used for:

Secondary data is normally created for a purpose such as to further commercial or funding needs. Its used as the main channel of information to consumers, appearing in books, magazines and television ect. Can be relayed to consumers in an influential way to favour the desired objective.

11

P1 attempt

Sources of information in organisations.

Different departments in organisations source different information these generally include databases specific to that department, for example; anything to do with storing company employee data E.g employee absence and such would be sourced and handled by human resources. The different deaprtments of a company generally consist of these: Production Marketing Human resources Finance Often the databases information has to be hard-copied in a filing system, in order to maintain safety of important information.

12

P1 attempt

Good information
It is important to have accurate, reliable, valid and relevant information. The information you use must fit certain criteria before it can be used for the company or in its name. This is because the use of information that for example is out of date and therefore inaccurate can have legal implications that the company as a whole is responsible for. So ALWAYS: Check information before use (making sure it is completely accurate and fits all of the above criteria) Update your data regularly Make it readily available when needed

13

Issues related to information

Legal Issues:
Incorrect or plagiarized information has serious repercussions especially if used commercially by a company. It is against the law to present something as fact when it is not, and can sometimes even be dangerous. Doing so may incur serious charges or perhaps jail for those responsible. Either way it is NOT good for the company.
P3 attempt

Ethical Issues:
This is sometimes a difficult subject to deal with as it is mainly down to opinion, but is important not to offend cultures when using information that touches on delicate matters. E.g. you would not present a 12 mile to the gallon super car as fuel efficient to economists.

Operational Issues:
The safety of its data is vital to a company, especially if it is classified or sensitive. If this information is lost stolen it can effect the company extremely deeply. It is also vital that the companies information is kept accurate and up to date, not kept beyond an individuals will if it belongs to them, and conforms to any data protection acts in effect on the company.

14

Thank you for your attention.

15