The completeness of the information is what does it mean?

One of the basic concepts in informatics is information. At the moment there is no single definition of this concept. But the basic properties of information - reliability, completeness, relevance, usefulness, objectivity and others are clearly distinguished. They determine the quality of information and characterize it. All of the above properties are purely subjective and depend on the individual's requirements for this or that information.

What is information

Information is a rather abstract notion that does not have an exact, fixed definition. There is a term from the Latin informatio, which is translated into Russian as information or explanations.

The concept of "informatics" has many meanings that manifest themselves in the context. To date, scientists have not developed a single definition for this term. Thus, V. Schneiderov notes that more than 400 definitions are known that function in various fields of knowledge.

The concept of informatics can be narrowed down, giving the following definitions - information or data presented in any form - oral, written, electronic, sign; A set of data recorded on a tangible medium; Saved and distributed data.

Different sciences, such as information theory, cybernetics, semiotics, the theory of mass communication, informatics, and economics operate with the notion of information . Each of them chooses exactly the formulation that most accurately describes the application of information in this field of knowledge.

Next, we will consider not only the types of information and operations over it, but also its main qualitative characteristics. The properties of information, completeness will be considered in great detail. Examples for each of the characteristics will be very simple and understandable, which will help to delve into the essence of each of them.

Types of information

Depending on the criteria, the information can be classified by the method of perception, the area of origin and the form of presentation, purpose.

Depending on the method of perception, information is given out visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory and taste.

In the area of origin - the elementary, biological and social.

According to the form of representation and fixation - text, numeric, graphic, sound, machine.

By designation - mass, special, personal, social, statistical.

This is not a complete list of classifications, in fact, they are much more. We have given only the main ones.

Operations on Information

Over the information, regardless of its type, you can perform various operations. Consider the main ones:

1. Collection or accumulation of information to ensure its completeness, reliability and relevance.
2. Filtering - screening out unnecessary information. For example, the reliability and completeness of information is one of its main properties. If the information received does not correspond to them, it can be considered superfluous and destroyed.
3. Information security - prevention of loss, modification, unauthorized use of the data.
4. Transformation - change the way data is provided. For example, the text is presented in the form of a table or diagram, it is announced.

Basic properties of information

Like any other object, the information has its own features and properties. So, the main properties are reliability, adequacy, objectivity, accessibility, accuracy, completeness of information. They indicate the quality of the data received, the degree to which they meet the needs of a particular group of people.

Next, we will analyze each of them in more detail and give clear and understandable examples.

Objectivity

Objectivity of information - the independence of data from someone else's opinion or consciousness, methods of obtaining. The more it is objective, the more reliable.

For example, the graphic information captured by the snapshot is more objective than the one drawn by the artist. Or clarifying the weather on the street. So, the information that on the street is warm is subjective, but the data that the thermometer shows 24 degrees of heat are already objective.

This property is influenced by the fact whether the data is passed through the subjective perception of the person or not, whether these were facts or assumptions.

Completeness

The completeness of the information is an indicator that indicates the measure of sufficiency of the data obtained to solve a particular problem. It is very relative, as it is estimated by the extent to which this information can help in solving this or that problem. If the information is enough to make the right decision - it is complete. If not, its use will not bring the expected effect.

The more fully the data received, the more methods available to the person to solve the problem, the sooner he will be able to find the right one and solve his problem. Incomplete information can lead to erroneous decisions, conclusions.

Let's consider, in what situation the completeness of the information can be important. Examples can be as follows. On TV, showed the weather forecast, but only said that the temperature on the street during the day will be +25. At the same time the announcer did not say whether it will be sunny or cloudy, whether there will be rain. Such information is unreliable. On its basis, the viewer may decide not to take an umbrella with him and eventually get caught in the rain.

The second example: the students were told that on Tuesday there will be an exam, but the subject was not named. Such data is also not enough to solve the problem.

In order to complete the information, you need to collect as much data as possible and, by filtering them, you get the most complete information that can be used to solve the tasks.

Reliability

Reliability of information - its fidelity, conformity of reality, facts.

Reliable information is based on facts, objective information. The completeness and reliability of the information are interrelated, since incomplete information can be unreliable. For example, with the silence of some facts of information is not true. This is related to the reliability criteria:

- Absence of distorted, false and incomplete data.

- intelligibility of speech (method of fixation).

The reasons for the inaccuracy of information, which can be identified as the most common: distortion, as intentional (initially misinterpretation, distortion due to interference), and intentional - misinformation, errors in fixing data, concealing important details.

Relevance

Relevance of information - the degree of correspondence of the information received to a given time, timely information received.

For example, take the same weather forecast. For tomorrow or next week it will be relevant for us, as it will help to choose the right clothes, perhaps, to adjust their plans. At the same time, the forecast of yesterday or a week ago for us is irrelevant, since it does not bear any value, since this information was received untimely, does not correspond to the time that interests us.

But it should also be remembered that, depending on the purposes, information that is irrelevant for some people can be relevant to others. So, when disclosing a crime in some situations, the weather condition on the day of theft or murder may be key.

So, the properties of information - completeness, relevance and reliability - are important in solving the problem.

Novelty

Information must introduce something new into the understanding of the entity or object. It is believed that under it is meant only those data that can benefit a person, give information about something new.

In general, not all scientists recognize this property as mandatory for information. The novelty of information is acquired in the event that it is data about any new research, phenomena, events that occurred in the world. For example, information on election results is novel, but only for a short time.

Utility

The usefulness, or value of information is assessed in relation to the needs of one or another of its consumers, tasks that can be solved with its help. Useful information is the most valuable.

For example, for people with allergies, data on the composition of a particular product are valuable. For a broker or banker, the state of the economy at a given time. Reliability, relevance, completeness of information is a pledge of its usefulness, a guarantee that with its help a person can solve the task assigned to him as quickly as possible.

Adequate

Adequacy is the correspondence of information to the expected content, correspondence to the displayed object or phenomenon. In general, adequacy is a concept similar to the objectivity of information and its reliability.

One can give the following example of the adequacy of information. On the question of what color leaves, the person answers - green. If the answer is blue, black, leaves are round, etc., then the information received can not be considered adequate. Thus, the adequacy of information is its correct, reliable answer to the question posed.

Availability

Availability - the ability to receive this or that information, to perform a number of operations over it, including reading, changing and copying it, using it to solve problems, and obtaining new data.

The main examples of the availability of information in the fullness of its contents are scientific monographs, studies, data presented in books, information on the state of the environment.

To some extent, we can talk about the availability of political and economic information for society as a whole, but to say its fullness is not always reasonable.

Another bright example of the availability of information can be a book written in a native language for a person. But if it is printed in a foreign language, a stranger to someone, then the availability of information contained in it can no longer be said.

conclusions

There is still no single definition for the term information. Each area of knowledge, each scientist develops his concept for a given term. Generally speaking, the information is any information possessing a number of certain properties.

And the completeness of information is one of its main properties. Along with it, also highlight the relevance, reliability, accessibility, objectivity, utility. These properties are very subjective, in some cases even conditional.