CSEC Information Technology

Grade 11
Topic: Information Processing

Distinguish between Data & Information

Data
This is raw unprocessed facts e.g. 32, 28, 36. This data can represent anything and therefore has no meaning.
Information
This is processed data e.g. Jane scored 32, Phillip scored 28 and Barry scored 36. This information tells us how
well or poorly the student performed. Information is processed or organized data and has meaning.
Sources of Data & Information
Sources of data and information can be from; people, place or things in the environment. A data source is
simply the source of the data. Data can be collected in many different ways, such as:
o Automatically- for example by electronic sensors.
o Typing/Manual entry

DOCUMENT TYPES
SOURCE DOCUMENT
A source document is one in which data is first recorded before it is entered in the computer. Data entered from
these documents is transferred directly from the document to the computer’s memory. Data is captured from
source, for example, from invoices, time card or lottery slips.
HUMAN READABLE
A human-readable document is any document that needs to be read by humans e.g. forms that are filled in by
hand and has to be read before the data is entered on a keyboard.
MACHINE READABLE
A machine-readable document is one on which the data can be ‘read’ by an input device, such as a scanner or
mark reader, directly into the computer system. Examples of machine- readable documents are multiple choice
answer sheets and barcodes on labels of products.
TURNAROUND DOCUMENT
A turnaround document is one that is printed by a computer system and is later used to collect data. E.g. a tax
return form with the employee’s personal information pre-printed on it. After the rest of the form is completed
by the employee the new data is entered so that the tax return can be processed.

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FORMS OF DOCUMENTS
Documents/files can be displayed in one of two formats:
 Hardcopy: A hard copy is defined as a physical object like a printed document or a file.
 Softcopy: A soft copy could be text files, images sound and videos. These can be displayed on a computer
monitor/or heard through a speaker.

The reliability of information obtained from online sources

The reliability and importance of information obtained from online sources can be evaluated in terms of:
AUTHENTICITY
The information must be as accurate as possible. It should measure the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness
of the content, in terms of:
 Where does the information come from?
 Are there other sources that verify the information? Is it supported by evidence?
 Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
CURRENCY
The is a measure of the timeliness of the information.
 What is the date of information? Has it been updated?
 Is currency important for your subject or will older sources work as well?
 Is the information outdated?
 Are the links functional for online information?
RELEVANCE
It should be what the user needs to know and be up-to-date. The importance of the information for your needs:
 Are all sides of a question presented? Are there limitations?
 Is the information at an appropriate level (not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
 Is the information designed for a specific audience? Who is the intended audience? Is the information
relevant to your information need? Can you use it?
BIAS
This is when a statement reflects a partiality, preference, or prejudice for or against a person, object, or idea.
Some indicators of bias are:
 The language of the document is often extreme; statements have all or nothing connotations.
 The argument appeals more to the emotions than to logic.
 Things are worded with the intent to oversimplify or over generalize.
 The author wishes to present a limited view of the topic.

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 Validation & Verification
VALIDATION
Validation is the process of checking your data for errors before processing is done. Validation is used to
determine if the data entered is incomplete, inaccurate or unreasonable.
TYPES OF VALIDATION CHECKS
Types of validation checks include:
 range checks
 reasonableness checks
 data type checks
 consistency checks
 presence checks
 length checks
 format checks
RANGE CHECK
This ensures that numbers entered falls within a certain range. Example: hours in a given day cannot exceed 24
hours, percentage score on a test cannot exceed 100 and when writing your date of birth, the month lies between
1 to 12.
REASONABLENESS CHECK
Reasonableness check ensures that the data entered is realistic. Example: ensure that zeros are not entered by
mistake as an employee salary.
DATA TYPE CHECKS
Data type check ensures that the characters entered are of the correct data type. Example: letters will not be
accepted in a field defined to store numbers, age is numerical, so a data check would notice if a letter was
entered.
CONSISTENCY CHECKS
Consistency checks makes a comparison between the data currently entered and data previously entered. This
prevents false or dishonest data from being entered. In other words, consistency checks is the checking of one
piece of data against another. Example: if data includes both gender (M or F) and title (Mr., Mrs. or Miss). If
someone has entered M and Miss, then the two data items are inconsistent also the age of the person entered has
to match the date of birth entered in a separate field.
PRESENCE CHECK
Presence check ensures that data that is required/mandatory is actually entered. It checks to ensure that data has
been actually entered in a field and that it is not left blank. Example: when signing up for an email account,
your name, date of birth, etc. is required to complete the process.

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LENGTH CHECKS
This check is used to decide if the data entered has the correct number of characters or digits. It ensures that the
amount characters or digits entered isn’t shorter or longer than the prescribed length. Example: a phone number
must have a certain number of digits: 1 (867) 000-0000 and a password, should be 6 or more characters.
FORMAT CHECKS
A format check is a validation check which ensures that entered data is in a particular format or pattern. The
format that data must be in is specified using an input mask. The input mask is made up of special characters
which indicate what characters may be typed where. Example: for date fields, the format check verifies that the
date provided is valid. The format check ensures the range of the month, day, and year are valid and also that
the date is valid.

VERIFICATION
Data verification is a process whereby a person checks that data has been correctly entered into a computer
system. This is the process of checking for errors after processing has been done. This may be achieved by
visual checks and dual inputs.
DATA VERIFICATION METHODS
There are two types of data verification methods:
 Double entry (Dual Input)
 Proof reading (Visual check)
DOUBLE ENTRY
Double entry errors occurs when the same data is entered twice, at times by different people. If there is any
difference between the entries made, the data will not be processed. The operators will be prompted to retype
the sections that differ until both copies agree.
PROOF-READING
This involves carefully checking what is being types, against the original document. When data is being
entered, two types of errors can occur:
 Typographical errors: typing errors that are made when the wrong key is hit.
 Transposition errors: when numbers or characters are entered in the wrong order e.g. entering 2345
instead of 2435.
To reduce these errors the person entering the data can check that the data on the screen matches the data on the
source document.

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 Methods of File Organisation & Access

SERIAL FILE ORGANIZATION

Serial file organization is the simplest type of file organization. The records are arranged one after another in
the order in which they were added. That is, they have been sorted into any particular order. To find information
the software needs to look at every record one at a time.
A serial file (unordered file) is mainly used for backup purposes and are stored on tape or disk. If another record
needs to be added, it can be added to the end of the file. Examples of serial files include:
 Unsorted invoices for customers
 Collection of student marks
 Shopping list
SEQUENTIAL FILE ORGANIZATION
A sequential file is similar to a serial file, but the records are sorted in a particular sequence. With sequential
access the records are in order. Therefore, if just one record is required, the method is slow but if all the records
are required, it is very fast. The main disadvantage to modifying records in both serial and sequential files is
that the entire file must be read and then the records written to a new file. Examples of sequential files include:
 A batch processing system, such as a payroll system where the record for each employee is accessed in
sequence and the appropriate pay calculated.
 Invoices for customers sorted on customer number
 Class registers sorted on last name
Searching for a particular file in a sequential file organization, means all the preceding records must be read.
DIRECT ACCESS FILE ORGANIZATION
A direct access file allows access to a particular record in the file using a key. This makes it much easier to find,
read, delete, update and insert records. The file is organized like a one-dimensional table where each record is a
part of the table. The record number acts like a table index to allow you to find the record.
Direct access files also support sequential access by allowing the records to be read one after another. The
records in a direct access file are not sorted in ascending or descending order, but are stored in random order.
RANDOM FILE ORGANIZATION
Random access allows data stored on disk to be found extremely quickly, and the records are accessed
regardless of the order in which they were stored. Random file organization is the most efficient way of storing
extremely large files, such as National databases.
Random files use an effective method of providing direct access to records. Each record will have its own
specific position or address on the disk. The records are not sorted in any way. The position allocated to each
record will be calculated by using a special formula.

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Application areas for file organisation methods
 Archiving: This is the process of moving files that are no longer actively being used to a separate storage
location for long term retention. Archived files are still important to the organisation. Archived files may be
accessed using either serial or direct access, depending on the file organisation method used.

 Payroll File: A payroll file contains confidential information about the employee, such as deductions, gross
salary and net pay. A payroll file should therefore be stored in a sequential manner since it limits access to
the rest of the confidential information located in the personal file.

 Real-Time Systems: Real time systems depend on the results produced by the system and the time at which
these results were produced. This type of system is time critical and therefore must respond within a
specified period of time. Examples are air traffic control systems, network multi-media systems and
command control systems. Direct file organisation is therefore suitable for this application.

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