Transitioning from Information to Data to Knowledge

"Instant access to the world's information will probably have an effect opposite to what is hoped; students (people) will become numb instead of enlightened."
                                            .......... Alan C Kay

What is Information?
Everyone must feel that they know what information is. No life form, human or otherwise, could function if it was not continually receiving and processing information, and it has always been thus. Despite the fact that information is so essential to the functioning of any organism, and that people have put a lot of effort into the development of 'Information Science', 'Information Systems', 'Information Management', 'Information Theory', and the like, it may surprise you to know that there is no commonly agreed definition for the concept of information.
"...progress is be-devilled by the frequently contradictory nature of existing definitions, and by the absence of any consensus on the nature and characteristics of information. Hence, even the information science profession, whose interest lies in the study of information and related phenomena, is unable to agree upon an operational definition."
William J Martin "The Information Society", Aslib, 1988
Although we might not be able to provide a simple general definition of information, we can agree that most people can recognize examples of information when they see them. What we aim to do in our organizations is to look at how different kinds of information might influence the perception or generation of information by individuals, and in particular to look at how information technology can help with the storage, retrieval, processing and transmission of information to our benefit or detraction. This is the main area that Rapid Knowledge with focus on.

What is Data?
The noun "data" has 1 sense in WordNet.

1. data, information -- (a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn; "statistical data")

What is Knowledge?
Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines knowledge as "the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association." This seems to be a good definition of knowledge as it is universally used and accepted.
However, it begs the following question: what is meant by the term "knowing?" Once again, let’s turn to Webster’s. The word "know" is defined as "to perceive directly: have direct cognition of." And just for completeness sake, cognition is defined as "the act or process of knowing including both awareness and judgment." K-Expressor helps you see what you already know!

How do we get from Information to Data to Knowledge?
The $64,000 question! How does an organization get from having Information, to turning it into Data, and thus arrive at some form of Knowledge that it can use and benefit from?

We specialize in transforming information into data and then publishing it as knowledge. Knowledge that your organization can benefit from today.

Simple Scenario 1:
I received a document. What is it really saying?
You receive a 100 page document from a client or associate and are expected to review it and provide comments. How do you know instantly what is in the document? Unless you take the full time to read through the entire document you will not get a detailed appreciation of the concepts held within it. Yes, you could rely upon the Executive Summary and Recommendations made by someone else, however, they do not tell you “what is really in the document”.
Our knowledge publishing software and service, K-Expressor, will tell you what you need to know about each and every document you need to review. K-Expressor will provide you with a Knowledge Map (concepts), Summary, Speed Read, and Power Read version of each document you need to review. With this, you can quickly determine what is “really” in the document. You will save time and effort in getting to the heart and point of every thing you need to review. In fact, K-Expressor will help you determine quickly if you even need to review the document at all!

Simple Scenario 2:
What is my document really saying?
You have just generated a serious proposal or strategy document for your organization. You are about to release it to Senior Management or your very important client. But what is your document really saying? What important concepts are communicated within your document? It the document clearly communicating the message you want to deliver?
K-Expressor will analyze your document and expose the important concepts and knowledge that your written words are really expressing. The Knowledge Map produced from your document will highlight the real concepts that are actually being communicated. The question is: are the concepts in the document really what I am trying to communicate to my reader? K-Expressor will help you refine your document to the point that it is indeed really communicating the points you are trying to “express”. The Summary, Speed, and Power Read views only help you clarify your message.

Simple Scenario 3:
Information Overload
A great deal of knowledge is hidden in word processing documents, electronic files and emails, scattered around various networks and Intranets. Each day the number of these documents continues to grow making the knowledge residing within it more difficult to find. Knowledge Workers should be empowered with the knowledge residing within an organization, not be burdened by it. Once again, K-Expressor can help your organization make sense of Information Overload!

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