Management Information System (MIS) Practice Exam

Which statement is true regarding information?

1. It is raw material—recorded, unformatted words and numbers.

2. It has no meaning in and of itself.

3. It organizes knowledge to make it suitable for tasks.

4. It is a representation of reality.

The correct answer is: It is a representation of reality.

The statement that information is a representation of reality is accurate because information often serves to depict or reflect real-world phenomena or conditions. In various contexts, such as business, science, or education, information transforms data—a collection of raw facts—into a format that can facilitate understanding, decision-making, and communication about those phenomena. This representation often helps individuals and organizations make informed choices based on their interpretations of reality. In contrast, the raw data or unformatted words and numbers do not provide value on their own until they are processed and interpreted. Similarly, while information does have meaning, it becomes more valuable when it is organized and contextualized through knowledge. Therefore, the statement regarding information as a representation of reality captures its role in conveying insights that relate closely to actual conditions or events.