Table of Contents

Information

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Discussion

Information results from interpreting Data within a context. The context supplies the relationships, assumptions, classifications, rules, and other knowledge needed to derive meaning from the Data.

The same Data produces different Information when interpreted within different contexts. Data therefore remains distinct from Information. Data provides a representation suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing. Information expresses the meaning derived from interpreting that representation.

Information includes the meaning conveyed by records, messages, observations, measurements, models, reports, and other representations.

The preservation of Information requires more than the preservation of its underlying Data. It also requires preservation of the context, structure, relationships, provenance, and interpretation rules needed to recover its meaning.

Definition

meaning conveyed by Data interpreted within a context

Source

DIDO Solutions project definition informed by ISO/IEC information-processing terminology.

Note

Information exists independently of its physical or digital representation. Different representations convey equivalent Information when they preserve the same meaning within the applicable context.

A loss or alteration of context changes, obscures, or destroys the Information conveyed by otherwise unchanged Data.

Confidentiality protects Information against unauthorised availability or disclosure. Integrity protects its accuracy, completeness, relationships, context, and authorised state.

Example

The value `42` constitutes Data. When interpreted as the DDS domain identifier assigned to a Node Configuration, the value conveys Information about the communication domain used by the Node.


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