This document discusses the use of research data. It begins by defining data as raw facts or information that on its own has no meaning. Research data specifically refers to data gathered, observed, or generated for the purposes of description and analysis in order to produce original research outputs. The document outlines different types of primary, secondary and tertiary data and various ways of presenting data, such as through frequency tables, charts and pictographs. It notes that for raw data to be useful, it requires selective extraction, organization, analysis and formatting for presentation. In summary, the essence of research is to solve a problem through investigation, and gathering data is an important part of the research process.