Data vs Information vsKnowledge vsWisdom

DIKW model

‘Data --> Information --> Knowledge --> Wisdom’

Generally, Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom are arranged in the above sequence. How about considering another angle and trying to arrange these 4 terms in different sequence?

For me Information and Knowledge both comes from Data and Wisdom comes from both Information and Knowledge.

Difference between Data and Information?

As we all know, now a days, Data is everywhere either it is generating from System/ Mobile Applications, Online Websites/ Portals, Videos, Audios, logs etc.

• Is all Data equal to Information? No, it’s NOT.
• Can all Data become Information? Yes, it CAN, based on the nature of the business or requirement.

To answer above, one must first understand what Information is. Information is tightly coupled with what one wants to know. You must have heard this question on many occasions or events or counters etc. like What Information do you need?

For example, you are in a shopping mall, and you need to find a particular shop, you approach the Information Counter, the person on the counter will ask you 'What Information you need?’. That question from you is the Information you are looking for; you don't want to know the details about all the shops in the mall.

• Information is about specific details in response to a specific requirement.
• Data is about all the details in the system.

Success is measured based on the extractable Information from a solution. If the solution can’t serve decision makers, then it’s equal to not having it.

Difference between Information and Knowledge?

As discussed above Information is about know what is required by business. On the other hand, Knowledge is knowing about if now everything but almost most of the things inside the data.

For example, whenever we refer someone as SME (Subject Matter Expert), we never say he/ she has a good information about the system, we always refer he/ she has good Knowledge about the system.

So, Knowledge is not about knowing required details from Data, it’s about knowing insights regardless of business requirements.

What is Wisdom?

Last but not the least, Wisdom is something special. An individual with both Information and Knowledge means someone who knows insights about all raw data sitting within an organization and knowing the business requirements. Based on this that individual can take decisions or find more relevant Information from Dark Data.