Source data is
raw data
Raw data, also known as primary data, are ''data'' (e.g., numbers, instrument readings, figures, etc.) collected from a source. In the context of examinations, the raw data might be described as a raw score (after test scores).
If a scientist ...
(sometimes called atomic data) that has not been processed for meaningful use to become
Information
Information is an Abstraction, abstract concept that refers to something which has the power Communication, to inform. At the most fundamental level, it pertains to the Interpretation (philosophy), interpretation (perhaps Interpretation (log ...
.
Examples
* Data entered at a till in a store
* A list of information about customers used in a mail merge in Word Processing
* Handwritten notes or printed documents, before they are typed in, such as an order form or CV
* Research data such as air temperature measurements
Risks
Often when
data
Data ( , ) are a collection of discrete or continuous values that convey information, describing the quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted for ...
is captured in one
electronic system
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors
*Electronics (magazine), ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electron ...
and then transferred to another, there is a loss of
audit trail
An audit trail (also called audit log) is a security-relevant chronological record, set of records, and/or destination and source of records that provide documentary evidence of the sequence of activities that have affected at any time a specific ...
or the inherent data cannot be absolutely verified. There are systems that provide for absolute data
export
An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is a ...
but then the system imported into has to allow for all available data
fields to be imported. Similarly, there are
transaction logs in many modern
database
In computing, a database is an organized collection of data or a type of data store based on the use of a database management system (DBMS), the software that interacts with end users, applications, and the database itself to capture and a ...
systems. The acceptance of these transaction records into any new system could be very important for any verification of such imported data.
In research, gaining access to source data may be cumbersome. Particularly where
sensitive personal data is involved,
security
Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted coercion). Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be persons and social groups, objects and institutions, ecosystems, or any other entity or ...
and
redaction
Redaction or sanitization is the process of removing sensitive information from a document so that it may be distributed to a broader audience. It is intended to allow the selective disclosure of information. Typically, the result is a document ...
(obscuring information) may be an issue.
Redactable and Auditable Data Access for Bioinformatics Research
Jordan Brown et al, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA
See also
* Computer Assisted Auditing Techniques
* Cooked data
* Information
Information is an Abstraction, abstract concept that refers to something which has the power Communication, to inform. At the most fundamental level, it pertains to the Interpretation (philosophy), interpretation (perhaps Interpretation (log ...
* Information technology audit process
* Primary data and Secondary data
References
Digital media
Computer data
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