Data is data

Data is the results section of a scientific paper.
Data is a graph on the dashboard.
Data is a powerful motivator when it puts what we already know about ourselves in numbers.
Data is necessarily biased because it cannot exist in a vacuum.
Data is rarely perfect or complete.
Data is the Wizard of Oz in whom we only see that which we desire to see.
Data is not meaning.
Data is not opinion.
Data is not a mirror mirror on the wall to reveal the hidden truth in it all.

At the end of the day, data is data. It’s people who write the Discussion sections.
People draw conclusions from analytics.
It’s people who create meanings.  People who form opinions.

Don’t confuse the two.

Howard Chen on GithubHoward Chen on LinkedinHoward Chen on Wordpress
Howard Chen
Vice Chair for Artificial Intelligence at Cleveland Clinic Diagnostics Institute
Howard is passionate about making diagnostic tests more accurate, expedient, and affordable through disciplined implementation of advanced technology. He previously served as Chief Informatics Officer for Imaging, where he led teams deploying and unifying radiology applications and AI in a multi-state, multi-hospital environment. Blog opinions are his own and in no way reflect those of the employer.

Leave a Reply