What is Data?

There are two main types of data: structured and unstructured. Structured data is organized in a clear, predefined way, often stored in tables or databases. Examples include sales records, customer lists, or sensor readings—anything that fits neatly into rows and columns. Unstructured data, on the other hand, does not follow a specific format or structure. This includes things like emails, social media posts, photos, and videos. For instance, a tweet or a customer review is considered unstructured because it does not fit into a specific schema.

In your daily life, you might see structured data when you view a spreadsheet of your expenses, or unstructured data when you scroll through a feed of photos and comments on a social media platform.

Every time you use a device or interact with a service, you help generate and collect data. In business, data is produced through sales transactions, customer feedback, website visits, and inventory logs. Healthcare generates data through patient records, lab results, medical imaging, and wearable health trackers. Social media platforms collect data from posts, likes, shares, and comments, creating a vast stream of unstructured information.

Organizations use a variety of methods to collect data, such as online forms, sensors, surveys, and transaction logs. This data is then stored, processed, and analyzed to gain insights, improve services, and make informed decisions. Whether you are shopping online, visiting a doctor, or posting a photo, you are contributing to the creation and collection of data in the digital age.