- Data is raw facts and figures that have no inherent meaning on their own. It can arise in many ways like transactions, experiments, surveys, and sensor readings. - Data can be direct, collected for a specific purpose, or indirect, collected for one purpose but later used for something different. - Data comes in different types like text, numbers, alphanumeric, images, video, and sound. It is coded and encoded before being processed by computer systems. - Information is derived from processing and organizing data in a meaningful way so it becomes useful and meaningful to the user. Factors like relevance, accuracy, and timeliness affect the quality of information.