DIKW Concept

DATA, INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM



Figure 1 : Sharma, N. (2004)


Concept Map


Figure 2 : Clark D. (2004)


DATA
According to Davenport and Prusak (1998), Data is a set of discrete, objective facts about events. In an organizational context, data is more usefully described as structured records of transactions. Bellinger et.al (2004) also supports that data is raw and which can simply exist in any form, usable or not. It exists with no significance and meaning beyond its existence.
Example: 9 is a data which represents a fact or statement of event without relation to other things.

INFORMATION
According to Clark D. (2004), Information comes from the form that data takes as it is arranged and presented in different ways. Information has context. Data is turned into information by organizing it so that we can easily draw conclusions. Data is also turned into information by "presenting" it, such as making it visual or auditory. Information is therefore data with some given meaning by a relational connection. Hence information is processed data.
Example: The temperature drops to 9 degrees which represents the understanding of a relationship of some sort, hence causing an effect.

KNOWLEDGE
Davenport and Prusak (1998) define knowledge as, "a fluid mix of framed experience, contextual information, values and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information." Therefore, Knowledge acquired by the learner through experience and understanding. Knowledge is Information is static but knowledge is dynamic as it lives within us.
Example: If the humidity is very high and the temperature drops substantially the atmospheres is often unlikely to be able to hold the moisture so it rains.
WISDOM
According to Clark D. (2004), Wisdom is the ultimate level of understanding. As with knowledge, wisdom operates within us. We can share our experiences that create the building blocks for wisdom, however, it need to be communicated with even more understanding of the personal contexts of our audience than with knowledge sharing. Hence wisdom is achieved by seeing enough patterns and meta-patterns that we are able to synthesize and use in our everyday lives.
Example: It rains because it rains. And this encompasses an understanding of all the interactions that happen between raining, evaporation, air currents, temperature gradients, changes, and raining.




My position on KID:

In my opinion, the relationship between knowledge, information and data should be seen as cyclic. This is so because we cannot determine any starting point as each of them is connected to each other. There is no hierarchy between them as there is no level of importance between them.

The diagram below demonstrates my position:






Reference :
Bellinger, G., Castro, D., and Mills, A., (2004), “Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom”, Available : http://www.systems-thinking.org/dikw/dikw.htm, Accessed : 24/01/2010
Clark D. (2004) http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/performance/understanding.html accessed
24/01/2010
Davenport T., Prusak L. (1998). http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/performance/understanding.html accessed on 24/01/2010.
Sharma, N. (2004) http://www-personal.si.umich.edu/~nsharma/dikw_origin.htm accessed
24/01/2010