Data Collection

Data is information, often in the form of numbers. Collecting data means gathering facts to answer a question. Scientists, teachers, and even kids collect data to learn new things.

How to Collect Data

First, you need a question. What is the most popular lunch in the cafeteria? Then you collect data by asking people, observing, or measuring.

You can write your data in a table or chart. Each answer gets a tally mark. When you are done collecting, you count up the tallies to see the results.

Using Data

Once you have data, you can study it. You might make a bar graph to show the results. You might find the average or look for patterns.

Data helps people make decisions. A teacher might look at test scores to see what topics need more review. A city might count cars to decide where to build a new road.

Fun Facts

• The word data comes from a Latin word meaning things given.
• The first known census, which is a big data collection, was done in ancient Egypt about 5,000 years ago.
• Today, the world creates about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day.

Did You Know?

You can collect data about yourself! Tracking how many books you read each month or how many steps you walk creates data you can graph and study.