Data processing is, generawwy, "de cowwection and manipuwation of items of data to produce meaningfuw information, uh-hah-hah-hah." In dis sense it can be considered a subset of information processing, "de change (processing) of information in any manner detectabwe by an observer." [note 1]
The term Data Processing (DP) has awso been used previouswy to refer to a department widin an organization responsibwe for de operation of data processing appwications.
Data processing functions
Data processing may invowve various processes, incwuding:
- Vawidation – Ensuring dat suppwied data is correct and rewevant.
- Sorting – "arranging items in some seqwence and/or in different sets."
- Summarization – reducing detaiw data to its main points.
- Aggregation – combining muwtipwe pieces of data.
- Anawysis – de "cowwection, organization, anawysis, interpretation and presentation of data."
- Reporting – wist detaiw or summary data or computed information, uh-hah-hah-hah.
- Cwassification – separates data into various categories.
The United States Census Bureau iwwustrates de evowution of data processing from manuaw drough ewectronic procedures.
Manuaw data processing
Awdough widespread use of de term data processing dates onwy from de nineteen-fifties, data processing functions have been performed manuawwy for miwwennia. For exampwe, bookkeeping invowves functions such as posting transactions and producing reports wike de bawance sheet and de cash fwow statement. Compwetewy manuaw medods were augmented by de appwication of mechanicaw or ewectronic cawcuwators. A person whose job was to perform cawcuwations manuawwy or using a cawcuwator was cawwed a "computer."
The 1850 United States Census scheduwe was de first to gader data by individuaw rader dan househowd. A number of qwestions couwd be answered by making a check in de appropriate box on de form. From 1850 drough 1880 de Census Bureau empwoyed "a system of tawwying, which, by reason of de increasing number of combinations of cwassifications reqwired, became increasingwy compwex. Onwy a wimited number of combinations couwd be recorded in one tawwy, so it was necessary to handwe de scheduwes 5 or 6 times, for as many independent tawwies." "It took over 7 years to pubwish de resuwts of de 1880 census" using manuaw processing medods.
Automatic data processing
The term automatic data processing was appwied to operations performed by means of unit record eqwipment, such as Herman Howwerif's appwication of punched card eqwipment for de 1890 United States Census. "Using Howwerif's punchcard eqwipment, de Census Office was abwe to compwete tabuwating most of de 1890 census data in 2 to 3 years, compared wif 7 to 8 years for de 1880 census.... It is awso estimated dat using Herman Howwerif's system saved some $5 miwwion in processing costs" (in 1890 dowwars) even wif twice as many qwestions as during 1880.
Ewectronic data processing
Computerized data processing, or Ewectronic data processing represents a water devewopment, wif a computer used instead of severaw independent pieces of eqwipment. The Census Bureau first made wimited use of ewectronic computers for de 1950 United States Census, using a UNIVAC I system, dewivered in 1952.
The term data processing has mostwy been subsumed by de newer and somewhat more generaw term information technowogy (IT). The term "data processing" is presentwy considered sometimes to have a negative connotation, suggesting use of owder technowogies. As an exampwe, in 1996 de Data Processing Management Association (DPMA) changed its name to de Association of Information Technowogy Professionaws. Neverdewess, de terms are approximatewy synonymous.
Commerciaw data processing
Commerciaw data processing invowves a warge vowume of input data, rewativewy few computationaw operations, and a warge vowume of output. For exampwe, an insurance company needs to keep records on tens or hundreds of dousands of powicies, print and maiw biwws, and receive and post payments.
For science or engineering, de terms data processing and information systems are considered too broad, and de more speciawized term data anawysis is typicawwy used. Data anawysis uses speciawized and precise awgoridms and statisticaw cawcuwations dat are wess often observed in a typicaw generaw business environment. For data anawysis, software wike SPSS or SAS, or deir free counterparts such as DAP, gretw or PSPP are often used.
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- French, Carw (1996). Data Processing and Information Technowogy (10f ed.). Thomson, uh-hah-hah-hah. p. 2. ISBN 1844801004.
- Iwwingworf, Vawerie (11 December 1997). Dictionary of Computing. Oxford Paperback Reference (4f ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780192800466.
- Googwe N gram viewer. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
- Truesdeww, Leon E. (1965). The devewopment of punch card tabuwation in de Bureau of de Census, 1890. United States Department of Commerce.
- Bohme, Frederick; Wyatt, J. Pauw; Curry, James P. (1991). 100 Years of Data Processing: The Punchcard Century. United States Bureau of de Census.