Abstract
One of the greatest human factors challenges is the design of information technologies. Part of the challenge stems from the ever-increasing capabilities for displaying information. Part stems from the inability to measure the effectiveness of the technologies. Effectiveness is defined as transfer of information to or creation of knowledge in the user of the information technology. But what is information and what is knowledge and how are these measured? Meadow and Yuan (1997) provide the following general definitions: “data usually means a set of symbols with little or no meaning to the recipient. Information is a set of symbols that does have meaning or significance to their recipient. Knowledge is the accumulation and integration of information received and processed by a recipient” (p. 701). However, there are contending definitions for each of these concepts as well as additional concepts. These contending definitions were reviewed in this poster and composite definitions presented for data, information, knowledge, impact, and understanding.
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