Raw data
Raw data, also known as primary data, is data (e.g., numbers, instrument readings, figures, etc.) collected from a source.
Description
If a scientist sets up a computerized thermometer which records the temperature of a chemical mixture in a test tube every minute, the list of temperature readings for every minute, as printed out on a spreadsheet or viewed on a computer screen is "raw data".
Raw data has not been subjected to processing, "cleaning" by researchers to remove outliers, obvious instrument reading errors or data entry errors, or any analysis (e.g., determining central tendency aspects such as the average or median result).
As well, raw data has not been subject to any other manipulation by a software program or a human researcher, analyst or technician.
It is also referred to as primary data. Raw data is a relative term (see data), because even once raw data has been "cleaned" and processed by one team of researchers, another team may consider this processed data to be "raw data" for another stage of research.
Raw data can be inputted to a computer program or used in manual procedures such as analyzing statistics from a survey.
The term "raw data" can refer to the binary data on electronic storage devices, such as hard disk drives (also referred to as "low-level data").
See also
External links
- Raw data @ Wikipedia
