ABSTRACT
What are data and how are they used? Simply put, data are made up of information. Data are the basis for inferences and generalizations. For projections to be useful, rules need to be followed that ensure the information represents the situation. Faulty assumptions about what the data represent lead to inaccurate, and even worthless, conclusions. Information can be misrepresented accidentally or deliberately. When a sample is used to draw data, sampling bias and size could be other sources of misleading information.
