DIKW Model

Before learning what the DIKW model was it seemed pretty obvious to understand. The DIKW model is a step- by-step pyramid stating that you cannot move up the wisdom ladder until you have over come the bottom steps. The pyramid which moves from data to information, to knowledge, to the final step being wisdom seemed very easy to grasp at first glance but after looking more and more into the topic it got a bit more complex. When researching the DIKW model I found many different versions of it which made it all that much harder to understand. Not all versions of the DIKW model reference all four of the same components we covered in class, some versions include data earlier versions do not, some versions may ignore the wisdom component or they do not give it enough credit, although there are many different versions of this model they all share the same characteristics. You have to understand that data comes in the form of raw observations and measurements. Info is created by analyzing relationships and connections between the raw data, and it has to be able to answer questions like who what where when and why, things happen. Knowledge is created using the information for action and it answers the question how? And the top step to the pyramid, wisdom which deals with the future is created through use of knowledge, it answers the questions why and when as they relate to actions. Each step has its own function and it is not complete until you have gone through each one.