Definition
Data
Data are recorded observations or measurements collected so a question can be explored.
Continue from this idea into connected AXIO math.
Data are labelled clues: what was recorded, for whom or what, and how.
Boundary: A guess that was never observed, counted, or measured is not data for the investigation.
What it means
Data are the facts you write down so you can investigate something. A number such as 12 is not very useful by itself; “12 minutes of reading on Tuesday” tells what the value means. Good data keep the labels, units, and source attached.
Remember it
Data are labelled clues: what was recorded, for whom or what, and how.
Example
A class asks, “How do we travel to school?” Each child records walk, bus, car, or bicycle. Those recorded answers are data. Counting the answers can show the most common travel method.
Watch for
A guess that was never observed, counted, or measured is not data for the investigation.
Common mix-up
Data are the recorded information; a graph or table is one way to organise or show them.
Exact meaning
Data are recorded observations, measurements, counts, or category values collected and kept for a question or purpose. Their meaning depends on what was recorded, for which cases, in which units or categories, and how it was collected.