“Data” is not only bits
and bytes but all sorts of signals disregarded by intended
or unintended addressees.
“transformed” = “brought
into (meaningful) shape” by a “transformer”.
The term “transformer” was used by Otto
Neurath as a label for the function of someone capable
of understanding the data, able to get all necessary
information of theme-related experts, deciding what
is worth transmitting and making it all understandable
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“high-quality
information”: information, as defined by
the idX* group “is the result of processing, manipulating
and organizing data in a way that adds to the knowledge
of the person receiving it”. The attributes of high-quality
information are **: accessibility, appropriateness, attractiveness,
credibility, completeness, conciseness, errorless, interpretability,
objectiveness, relevance, timeliness, secure, understandable,
valuable.
“to empower”/
“empowerment”, a term referred
to by R.S. Wurman in his book Information Anxiety 2 (p.
191) as “the word of the new century” and
the result of inspired instructions.
“people”
are those individuals who are expected to understand and
make use of provided high-quality information for empowerment.
There is a difference between transforming data for people
and the transforming of data for other purposes, e.g.
the automatic control of computers, machines, robots etc.
“attaining goals” =
to accomplish something which otherwise would not have
been able to be achieved. Neglecting the purpose underlying
people’s interest in specific information can have
the effect that the transformed data do not satisfy the
information needs of the intended recipients.
It goes without saying that transforming data into high-quality
information to empower people to attain goals requires
the competence of experienced information designers.
For
a description of what information designers know and can
do: see idX (information design exchange) Information Design:
Core Competencies, What information designers know and can do
available at www.iiid.net/PDFs/idxPublication.pdf.
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* idX = Development
of International Core Competencies and Student and Faculty
Exchange in Information Design, a project initiated by
Prof. Jill Dacey, University of Idaho, and realized within
the EU/US Cooperation Program in Higher Education and
Vocational Education and Training, August 2007
(see idX (information design exchange) Information Design:
Core Competencies, What information designers know and can do
available at
www.iiid.net/PDFs/
idxPublication.pdf ).
** adapted from Wang, Richard Y. and Strong, Diane M.
(1969). Beyond accuracy: what data quality means to data
consumers. Journal of Management Information Systems.
Vol. 12, No. 4, Spring 1966: pp 5-33.
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