Intro Info Systems Book

Information Processes and Technology
Unit 1
Introduction to Information Systems
“What’s Inside I.T?”
Name: .................................................
Teacher: Mr Morris
Email: chris.morris@stursulakingsgrove.catholic.edu.au
Twitter: morry_tweet
MSN/Gmail: morryc@gmail.com
Skype: dj_morry
Mobile: NO WAY!!
―What‘s Inside I.T‖
Introduction to Information Skills and Systems
Rationale for Information Processes and

Technology in the Stage 6 Curriculum
Information systems and the role they play in society have increased in significance in recent
years. The raw ingredients — information, information technology and participants — combine to
form information processes within information systems. The area of information systems has
provided major jobs growth for both women and men in recent years. Moreover, fields which
have not traditionally been associated with computers — but in which processing information is a
vital function — are emerging as exciting new areas of employment. These include music, the
arts, science and technology as well as new and fast-growing industries that use multimedia.
The Information Processes and Technology Stage 6 course, teaches students about information-
based systems. It covers the processes of collecting, organising, analysing, storing and
retrieving, processing, transmitting and receiving, and displaying, as well as the technologies that
support them. With this background, students will be well placed to adapt to new technologies as
they emerge.
Through this course, students will gain a good working knowledge of:
• the key concepts of data, information and systems
• the interactive nature of effective information-based systems
• available and emerging information technologies
• the social and ethical issues associated with the use of information technology and
information systems, such as equity and access, privacy, freedom of information and
copyright
• the communication, personal and team skills necessary to ensure that an information
systems solution is appropriate for the needs of the users
• related issues such as project management, documentation and user interfaces.
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• select the most appropriate technology for a given situation
• design and implement an information-based system using a creative and methodical
approach.
Students who successfully complete Information Processes and Technology will be confident,
competent and discriminating users of information processes and information technology. They
will appreciate the nature of information, its ethical use and its impact on many aspects of life. As
such, they will be well prepared to pursue further education and employment across an
especially wide range of contexts.
2
Course Structure
The arrangement and relationship between components of the Preliminary course and the HSC
course for Information Processes and Technology Stage 6 are outlined below. The percentage
values refer to indicative course time. A minimum of 40% course time is to be devoted to the
integration of content into project work in both the Preliminary and HSC courses. It is also
expected that a significant proportion of time will be devoted to integrated practical activities.
Preliminary Course HSC Course

Introduction to Information Skills and Project Management (20%)
Systems (20%)
Information systems in context Techniques for managing a project

Information processes Understanding the problem
The nature of data and information Planning
Reasons for digital data representation Designing solutions
Social and ethical issues Implementing
Testing, evaluating and maintaining
Tools for Information Processes (50%)
Information Systems and Databases (20%)
Collecting
Organising Information systems
Analysing Database information systems
Storing and Retrieving Organisation
Processing Storage and retrieval
Transmitting and Receiving Other information processes
Displaying Issues related to information systems
Integration of processes
Communication Systems (20%)
Developing Information Systems (30%)
Characteristics of communication systems
Traditional stages in developing a system Examples of communication systems
Complexity of systems Transmitting and receiving in communication
Roles of people involved in systems systems
development Other information processes in
Social and ethical issues communication systems
Managing communication systems
Issues related to communication systems
Option Strands (40%)

Students will select TWO of the following
options:
Transaction Processing Systems
Decision Support Systems
Automated Manufacturing Systems
Multimedia Systems
3
Conceptual Model of the Preliminary Course
Information Processes
Transmitting/Receiving
Storing and Retrieving
Processing
Organising
Displaying
Collecting
Analysing
Introduction to Information Skills and

Systems
Project Work
Preliminary
40% Tools for Information Processes
Developing Information Systems
4
8.1 Introduction to Information Skills and Systems

An information system has a purpose in that it addresses the need(s) of a group or an individual.
It performs the information processes of collecting, organising, analysing, storing/retrieving,
processing, transmitting/receiving and displaying. Information processes involve computer and
non-computer activities. For the processes to occur, participants (people), data/information and
information technologies (hardware and software) are required. The purpose for an information
system defines who it is for and what they need. Information systems give rise to ethical issues
for people directly and indirectly involved with them. They have a social impact on the
environment in which they operate.
Outcomes
A student:
P1.1 describes the nature of information processes and information technology
P1.2 classifies the functions and operations of information processes and information
technology
P2.1 identifies and describes the information processes within an information system
P2.2 recognises and explains the interdependence between each of the information
processes
P3.1 identifies and describes social and ethical issues
P4.1 describes the historical developments of information systems and relates these to
current and emerging technologies.
Students learn about: Students learn to:

information systems in context
diagrammatic representation of an diagrammatically represent a given scenario
information system in context that involves an information system
5

the environment – everything that influences explain how an information system impacts
and is influenced by the information on its environment and how it in turn
system impacts on the information system
the purpose – a statement identifying who describe the environment and purpose of an
the information system is for and what it information system for a given context
needs to achieve explain how a given need can be supported
who the information system is for includes by an information system
individuals and organisations describe an information system in terms of
the information system – a set of its purpose
information processes requiring for a given scenario, identify the people who
participants, data/information and are:
information technology built to satisfy a – in the environment
purpose – users of the information system
information processes – computer based – participants in the information
and non-computer based activities system
information technology – hardware and
software used in information processes
data – the raw material used by information
processes
information – the output displayed by an
information system
user – a person who views or uses the
information output from an information
system
participant – a special class of user who
carries out the information processes
within an information system
information processes
collecting – the process by which data is distinguish between, and categorise, the
entered into or captured by a computer activities within an information system in
system, including: terms of the seven information
– deciding what data is required processes
– how it is sourced use an existing information system to meet
– how it is encoded for entry into the a simple need
system manually step through a given information
organising – the process by which data is system identifying the information
structured into a form appropriate for the process
use of other information processes such for a given information system, describe
as the format in which data will be how the following relate to the
represented information processes:
analysing – the process by which data is – participants
interpreted, transforming it into – data/information
information – information technology
storing and retrieving – the process by schematically represent the flow of data and
which data and information is saved and information through a given information
accessed later system, identifying the information
processes
6

processing – a procedure that manipulates
data and information
transmitting and receiving – the process that

sends and receives data and information
within and beyond information systems
displaying – the process that controls the
format of information presented to the
participant or user
the nature of data and information

data – the input to an information system
data representation – the different types of distinguish between data and information in
media, namely: a given context
– images categorise data as image, audio, video, text
– audio and/or numbers
– video identify the data and the information into
– text which it is transformed, for a given
– numbers scenario
information – the output which has been
processed by an information system for
human understanding
the generation of information from data via
the information processes
how information from one information identify examples of information systems
system can be data for another that use information from another
information system information system as data
reasons for digital data representation

the need for quality data, including:
– accuracy
– timeliness
– accessibility
current data digitising trends, for example:
– newspapers on the Internet
– telephone system explain why information technology uses
– video on DVD digital data
– facsimile describe advantages and disadvantages for
– media retrieval management the digital representation of data
social and ethical issues

social and ethical issues arising from the
processing of information, including:
– privacy of the individual
– security of data and information
– accuracy of data and information
7

– data quality
– changing nature of work
– appropriate information use
– health and safety
– copyright laws
the people affected by social and ethical describe social and ethical issues that relate
issues, including: to:
– participants within the information – information system users
system – participants
– users of the information system ensure that relevant social and ethical
– those in the environment issues are addressed
the ethical and social responsibility of identify and explain reasons for the
developers expansion of information systems,
current government legislation to protect the including:
individual and organisations – advances in technology
the use of information systems in fields such – suitability of information technology
as manufacturing as well as the for repetitive tasks
traditional fields of observation and
recording
global information systems:
– where the purpose involves
international organisations, or
– where the data and processes are
distributed across national
boundaries
8
What is Information?
Source: Davis, S (2008) ‘Information Processes and Technology – Preliminary Course’ Parramatta Education Centre: Sydney
The word ‗information‘ appears to be the catchword of the century. Apparently we are
living in the ‗information age‘.
Information is supposed to help us all and the more we have the more enlightened and fulfilled
our lives are supposed to be. There are even charitable organisations devoted to making
information more accessible to those in third world countries. Information is traded as a
commodity, like oil or even gold. The Internet is often referred to as the information super
highway. So what is this stuff called information?
Information leads to knowledge and knowledge is acquired by being aware of and

understanding the facts. The facts or data must be processed into information before humans
can use the data to obtain knowledge. We may have access to a large store of facts or data but
it is not until these facts are understood and their meaning derived that we have information.
This is really the primary aim of this course, to examine the processes and technologies used to
turn raw facts or data into meaningful information. We must be careful with our understanding of
facts in this context, the information resulting from the data will only be correct if indeed the data
is factual.
The cliché ‗garbage in – garbage out‘ holds true, if the data is rubbish then the
resulting information will also be rubbish.
Information is therefore the meaning that we, as humans, assign to data. We gain
knowledge when information is received concerning some fact or circumstance.
For example, ‗123456.65‘ is data; ‗your savings account balance is $123,456.65‘ is
information; whereas ‗I‘ve got enough money to buy that Ferrari‘ is knowledge.
Consider the following list of data items:

• All the HSC results for a given year.
• The daily rainfall over the last ten years in your area.
• The number of cars passing your school each minute.
• Details on each take-off and landing at Mascot airport.
GROUP TASK Activity

List at least 2 types of information that may be derived from each of the above sets of
data.
1.
2.
GROUP TASK Discussion

Discuss how humans may use the above information to acquire knowledge.
9
Information Systems In Context
An information system (IS) is created for a purpose. The participants of an information system
use information technology and data to carry out information processes in order to produce
information and fulfill this purpose. An information system may address the needs of a group
(group information system) or an individual (personal information system) and is operated in
a particular environment.
Information systems give rise to ethical issues for people directly and indirectly involved with
them. They have a social impact on the environment in which they operate.
A diagrammatic representation of an information system in context is a pictorial summary of the

seven elements of an information system:
 its name,
 its purpose,
 the environment within which it operates,
 its participants,
 its data/information,
 the information technology required
 and the information processes it carries out.
The arrows in the diagram indicate the interactions between the elements.
The diagram is sometimes referred to as an “information system diagram”. (ISD)
The system‟s purpose is the reason for its existence and it is used to measure its success.
The environment is everything that influences or is influenced by an information system and its
purpose. It is constantly changing.
Participants are a special class of user who carries out the information processes within an
information system. Participants are direct users (e.g. employees) and are part of the system.
A user or indirect users (e.g. customers) are not part of the system, but the system exists
to service or benefit them in some way.
Data is the raw material entered into an information system.
Information is data that has been ordered and given some meaning by people. It is created or
modified by the information processes.
Information technology refers to the hardware and software used by the information system.
Communication technology which may include hardware and software should also be included
when information technology is mentioned.
10
Information processes may involve computer and non-computer activities. There are seven
information processes:
 collecting,
 organising,
 analysing,
 storing/retrieving,
 processing,
 transmitting/receiving and
 displaying.
Collecting is the process that defines the required data, identifies the source for the data,
determines how the data will be gathered and gathers the data.
Organising is the process that determines the format in which data will be represented in the
information system.
Analysing is the process that interprets the data and transforms it into information.
Storing/retrieving is the process that saves the data/information for later use and obtains
data/information previously saved.
Processing is the process that manipulates data into information.
Transmitting/receiving is the process that sends and receives data and information, within and
beyond information systems.
Displaying is the process that decides the form in which the information will be displayed and
displays the information.
11
The Information System Diagram or ISD
2
How to Construct an Information System Diagram or ISD
Identify the name of the information system

Identify the purpose of the information system
Identify the participants of the information system
Identify the users of the information system
Identify the information technology used in the information system
Identify the data/information of the information system
Identify the information processes that take place within the information system
Identify the environment within which the information system operates
Draw the boxes and headings. Do not forget to include the arrows.
Fill in the blanks!
It would be rather impossible to list every component and detail of an information system,
especially under examination situations.
The important point is to include the key factors first. More details can be added if time permits.
3
Activity: Components of an Information System

Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks. The words above may be used more
than once.
analysing information text

audio information processes transmitting/receiving
collecting information system processing
data numbers user
displaying organising software
environment participant(s) video
hardware purpose
images storing/retrieving
1. In an ___________________________ (IS), ____________________________ use

information technology to carry out information processes, thereby supporting one or more other
work systems.
2. The input to an information system is _____________________ and the output from an

information system is ___________________________
3. Information systems are created for a _____________________ and operate in a particular
4. Information technology refers to the _____________________ and _____________________

used by the information system.
5. _______________________ is the raw material entered into an information system.
6. ______________________ is data that has been ordered and given some meaning by
people. It is created or modified by the _______________________________
7. The five forms of data are _____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________ and _____________________
8. The _____________________ is everything that influences or is influenced by an information

system and its purpose. It is constantly changing.
4
9. The seven information processes are ______________________________________

________________________________________,
________________________________________,
__________________________________________
__________________________________________,
_____________________________________ and
_____________________________________
10. _____________________________________ is the process that involves the interpretation

of data and turning it into information.
11. ________________________________________ is the process that determines the format

in which the data would be represented in the system.
12. _____________________________________ is the process that determines the form the

information will be outputted.
13. __________________is the process that manipulates data into information. is the process
that sends and receives data. is the process that saves data and obtains data that have been
saved previously.
14. ______________________________________ is the process that gathers data into the

system.
15. When a customer visits a bank and withdraws money with the help of a bank teller, the
customer is a ______________________________________ of the information system of the
bank and the teller is a ____________________________________ of the information system
of the bank.
16. When a customer conducts online banking via the internet, the customer is a
_____________________________________ of the information system of the bank.
2
Activity: “The Opinion Website”

Scenario
A group of innovative high school students use an information system to run an “opinion website”
analyzing opinions among young people on current issues. A question is posted on the website
each week and visitors can express their opinions by completing a form on the website. The
responses are categorized and stored on a database. The responses are then studied carefully
taking into consideration gender and age differences. The results are presented in graphical
form and are displayed on the website the following week.
Construct a diagrammatic representation of this information system in context.
Answer the following questions prior to completing your ISD
(a) What is the name of this information system?

(b) What is the purpose of this information system?
(c) Identify the participants of this information system.
(d) List the data/information used and produced by this information system.
(e) List the information technology used in this information system.
(f) Identify the environment within which the information system operates.
(g) Describe the information processes that take place within this information system.
(h) Identify the users of the information system
3
Activity: “Real Estate Newsletter”

An information system is to be developed for the production and distribution of newsletters for a
local real estate agency.
The newsletters are to contain tips on buying, selling, renting and maintaining properties, as well
as colour photographs of properties for sale. The newsletters are to be produced in-house and
will be mailed to the clients on the real estate agency‘s database each month.
Construct a diagrammatic representation of this proposed information system in context.

(d) List the data/information required and produced by this information system.
(e) List the information technology required in this information system.
4
Activity: „Pretzels”
Pretzel Wagon is a company that makes and sells fresh pretzels. It has 20 outlets, a warehouse
to supply ingredients to the outlets, and a head office. Until recently, Pretzel Wagon knew little
about its customers. It did not know which type of its pretzels was the most popular and did not
know which one of its outlets was doing the best.
An information system has been implemented recently to identify customer preferences and to
maintain accurate records of sales. A computer with a hand-held scanner was installed in each
outlet. A list of barcodes corresponding to the different kinds of pretzels available is placed on
the side of the computer. Every time when a pretzel is sold, the shop assistant would scan the
appropriate barcode with the hand-held scanner. The type and price of the pretzel are displayed
and a receipt is printed after cash is received. This sales information is recorded on a database
on the computer. At the end of each day, a sales report is sent electronically to the head office
database where daily reports of all outlets are stored. The head office studies these reports
periodically to identify customer preferences and compare outlet performances. A sales graph
comparing the performance of all the outlets is sent to each outlet every month.

5
Activity: “Kindergarten”
A small kindergarten has an information system to keep track of the details of students and their
health records. Personal details and contact information of each child are entered into the
computer system from the enrolment form as soon as the enrolment process is completed. Each
child undergoes medical examinations such as eye testing, hearing testing and motor skills
testing on a regular basis. These records are also kept in the kindergarten database. In addition,
the information system generates fee notices and produces a progress report for each child at
the end of the year.

6
Activity: Stimulus Response – Hlp! My prnts cn cntrl my mbl
Hlp! My prnts cn cntrl my mbl

Asher Moses
Sydney Morning Herald
September 11, 2007 - 1:55PM
An Australian company is about to release what it says is a world first software suite, enabling
parents to completely control their children's mobile phone usage.
Meg Dennis, co-founder of Leopard Labs, which developed most of the suite, said it would help keep
phone bills in check, prevent cyber bullying and ensure children were not exposed to adult
content.
The software, loaded on to the phone and managed over the web, lets users filter inappropriate
websites, control all SMS and MMS messaging and block expensive premium SMS numbers.
Effectively, parents could use it to control what sites their kids looked at on their mobile phones,
what messages they received and the people they contacted.
Also part of the package is an anti-virus program from Kaspersky Lab to protect against mobile
malware and spam, which security companies say is on the rise as mobile phones become more like
computers.
"What we see happening is mobiles becoming the device of choice to access the internet ... and the
mobile world is very similar to the PC world in that it needs those types of controls available,"
Dennis said.
Alexey Gromyko, business development manager at Kaspersky Lab, said that, while mobile phone
viruses were yet to become a serious threat, this would change rapidly as more traditionally PC-
based tasks such as web browsing and internet banking were conducted on handsets.
MMS messages and Bluetooth were popular vehicles for sending mobile viruses, which could steal
data or trick the phone into sending messages to costly premium numbers.
"Normally users need to be infected before they start to take action ... there needs to be several
outbreaks after which mobile security will come as a standard," Gromyko said.
Dennis said the complete software package, called mozone, which Leopard Labs had been working on
since 2005, would be available to buy from the company's website in November.
The price had not been set but Dennis said it would be "completely affordable".
The company was also shopping the software around to mobile carriers, which could offer it directly
to their customers.
Dennis said some mobile carriers already offered customers the ability to restrict the content
delivered to handsets, but mozone, being a client-side solution, put total control in the hands of the
user.
A new program, loaded on to phones, lets users filter inappropriate websites, control
all SMS and MMS messaging and block
expensive premium SMS numbers.
Sites could be blocked based on their category (adult, gambling, shopping, etc) or individual url,
while al lpremium SMS numbers could be barred save for exceptions such as those for Big Brother or
Australian Idol.
7
Time of day profiles enabled parents to block certain sites such as Facebook and MySpace during
school hours, but open them up for access after a certain time.
"You can say I only want people in my address book who know my kid to access them [and] anyone
outside that address book will get rejected," Dennis said.
Specific words could also be filtered from SMS messages, but Dennis said she did not expect that
particular feature to be widely used as it was easy to bypass using abbreviations.
"It's not about stopping access; it's about facilitating it and making it a great user experience for kids
and parents as well," she said.
Mozone at first will only support the Symbian platform, which analyst firm Canalys says represents
72 per cent of the world's smartphone market, but Dennis said support for other platforms would be
added early next year.
Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and Panasonic all sell Symbian-based phones.

Last month, Symantec launched its Mobile Security Suite 5.0 for the Windows Mobile platform, which
provides anti-virus, firewall and anti-spam, but the parental controls are limited as the product
primarily targets corporations.

(i) As a young person, describe how you feel about this information system.
8
Data, Information and Processes
What is Digital Data?
The five types of digital data.
Numerical
Data
Text Data
Image Data
Five
types of
Data
Audio Data
Video Data
Briefly describe how the five types of data are

represented in a digital system.
9
At the Heart of any Modern Information System is a Computer!
What is a Computer?
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
We sometimes call objects that are useful to us tools, for example, a pen or a spade. A computer
is an extremely useful tool because it is many tools in one. It can perform a variety of tasks for
us, the user, such as:
 assisting to write a letter
 keeping an address book
 controlling spacecraft
 doing mathematical calculations
 creating pictures and animation.
The first computers were mechanical, but today‘s computers are mainly electronic, using
electricity for power.
A computer is an electronic tool that can process data
according to a stored sequence of instructions.
10
What does a Computer do?
Whether small or large, computers can perform four general operations. These operations
describe the computer‘s role in information processing and are: input, processing, output and
storage. Collectively, these operations describe the procedures that a computer performs to
process data into information and store it for future use. (The major steps in information
processing include acquisition, input, validation, manipulation, storage, retrieval, output,
communication, and disposal.)
All computer processing requires data. The term data refers to the raw facts, including numbers,
words, images and sounds, given to a computer during the input operation. In the processing
step, the computer manipulates the data to create information. Information refers to data that has
been processed into a meaningful and useful form. The production of information by processing
data on a computer is called information processing, or sometimes data processing (DP). During
the output operation, the information created is put into some form, such as a printed report, that
people can use. The information can also be stored electronically for future use.
Components of a Computer System
The list of instructions that a computer executes is called software. Physical computer equipment
is called hardware. Without instructions, a computer (hardware) cannot process the data.
In this way, software provides the link between participants (people) and hardware.
Computer Software People

Hardware
A typical computer system can perform many different tasks simultaneously. Data can be
entered into a computer system using an input device. The data is then manipulated or changed
in some way to produce information. This manipulation is called processing. This information
may then be displayed on an output device. If required the data input, or the information output
can also be placed in a storage device for later use.
There are five logical elements of a computer system; those being input, processing, output,
storage and control.
Processing +
Control
Input Output
11
Storage
(Primary +
Secondary)
The control unit (CU) , which is located in the central processing unit (CPU) performs the
function sof management and control. The control unit supervises and executes instructions by
instructing other parts of the CPU to carry out the required operation.
The hardware elements do the following functions
Element Information Description

Processes
Input Collecting, Organising Provides data for processing.
Process Processing, Analysing Performs operations on the data eg arithmetic
(addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division) and comparisons (greater than, less
than, equal to or not equal to).
Output Displaying Provides information for the user.
Storage Storing and Retrieving Holds/retains data.
Control Transmitting and Receiving Organises operations of input, processing,
output and storage.
12
Why Is a Computer So Powerful?
The input, process, output and storage operations that a computer performs may seem very
basic and simple. However, the computer‘s power derives from its ability to perform these
operations with speed and reliability and to store large amounts of data and information.
Speed
In a computer, operations occur through the use of electronic circuits contained on small chips
as shown in Figure 1-4. When data flows along these circuits it travels at close to the speed of
light. This allows processing to be accomplished in billionths of a second.
Reliability
The electronic components in modern computers are very reliable and seldom fail. The high
reliability of the components enables the computer to produce accurate results on a consistent
basis.
Storage
Computers can store enormous amounts of data and keep that data readily available for
processing. Using modern storage methods, the data can be quickly retrieved and
processed and then re-stored for future use.
Accuracy
Computers can process even complex data precisely and accurately, and output error-free
information. In fact, most instances of computer error can be traced back to other causes, often
human mistakes.
Communications
A computer that can communicate with other computers has many more options than a stand-
alone computer. If a computer is able to communicate with a remote computer, it can share any
of the four information processing operations — input, process, output and storage — with that
remote computer.
You know I‘m

strong…(strong)
invincible…(invincible)…
I am Computer!!
13
What do you need to run a Computer System?
To operate a computer, you need both hardware and software.

Hardware is the physical parts of a computer, the things you can actually touch, mechanical
devices.
Software is another word for a program or a collection of programs, that is, instructions on how
to do a particular task. You cannot physically grasp the instructional words (software) coming out
of someone's mouth, but you can record them onto a tape (hardware). Although there are three
main types of software, the two most important are:
 System software, which allows different hardware parts to communicate
with each other enabling the computer as a whole to function properly,
for example, DOS (disk operating system). System software is usually
purchased at the same time as the hardware.
 Application software, which allows the computer to perform a particular
task (an application). The computer requires a different application program to do
each of the following tasks:
— word-processing - working with text
— spreadsheet - working with numbers
— database - organising data
— graphics - working with drawings
— communications - transferring information
An integrated program is a collection of programs joined, or integrated, together. Typically an
integrated program combines the five main applications listed above.
A computer requires both ________________ and

______________ for it to operate.
Review Questions (Complete the following answers to the questions in your books)
1. What do you need to operate a computer?

2. Distinguish between the terms software and hardware.
3. List the names for the two main types of software. Give examples for each.
4. Distinguish between the two main types of software.
5. Name the type of software which allows the hardware to perform a particular task.
6. What does DOS stand for and what does it mean?
7. Why are some programs called main applications?
Make a poster showing the five main application software used in homes around
Australia. Include images which can be obtained over the internet
(www.google.com) – Image search
14
How does the Computer store things?
Both data and programs are stored on computer disks as files.
A data file or document is A program file is the

your work, for example a application, for example a
letter or picture word processor
Files are stored on a disk and are represented as a series of 0‘s and 1‘s called BInary digiTs
(bits). The term byte is used to represent each group of eight bits.
1 Byte
bit
0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1
Storage Units
Storage Unit Storage Capacity Exact Size

Bit Stores either 0 or 1
Byte 1 Byte = 8 Bits (1 character) 8 Bits
Kilobytes (Kb) 1024 Bytes 1024 Bytes
Megabytes (Mb) 1024 Kilobytes 1,048,576 Bytes
Gigabytes (Gb) 1024 Megabytes 1,073,741,824 Bytes
Terabytes (Tb) 1024 Gigabytes 1,099,511,627,776 Bytes
Questions:
1. How many kilobytes can be stored on a 4 Gb USB Memory Stick
2. How many bytes of information can be stored on a CD/RW with a storage capacity of
80mins or 700 megabytes?
3. How many bytes would it take to store question 1?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
15
16
What is Hardware?
The physical parts (called devices) of a computer are the parts you can actually hold. They are
the hardware.
The most common pieces of hardware found on a personal computer (PC) are shown in the
following illustration.
17
The computer needs two types of storage to store data:
• primary storage, mainly random access memory (RAM) or temporary

storage, which holds programs and data only while the machine is
switched on. Without power, all data in primary storage is lost! RAM is
positioned within the system box. In this way RAM is known as volatile.
• secondary storage, permanent storage where files, typically stored on

disk or tape, are kept safely for later use. Secondary storage devices can be
positioned either internally or externally to the system box, for example,
hard disk, floppy (3.5 inch) disk, compact disk (CD), Zip drive or DVD (Digital Versatile
Disk).
Remember that primary storage can only provide storage while electrical power is available
and for permanent storage a copy of data in primary storage can be saved to secondary
storage. When electrical power is available and the computer is executing application
software, primary storage temporarily stores:
 operating system software
 application software currently being used
 data being processed by the application software
 working storage for temporary storage of items of data being processed
 working storage for buffering (temporary storage) of input (for example, keypress
codes from the keyboard) and output (for example, data and control codes to be
sent to the printer)
The majority of primary storage is RAM with, typically, a small amount being ROM (stores
a part of the operating system). The relative proportion of primary storage available to
the various tasks will vary depending upon the:
 size of operating system software
 size of application software, more features
typically require more primary storage
 execution of program instructions and
temporary storage of data
 amount of input/output data to buffer (store
temporarily)
18
New software applications typically provide more and more features, which requires larger
storage (both primary and secondary). Often there will be insufficient storage available and
hence it will not be possible for the application software to perform the required task. If this
occurs it will be necessary to add more storage. If this cannot be done then a more
capable computer system would need to be purchased.
Magnetic disks, either hard disks or floppy disks provide the most common form of online
secondary storage. Optical disks such as CD's and DVD's are also a popular form of secondary
storage.
Free Primary Storage
Secondary
Storage
Application Software
Input/Output and general

workspace
Operating System
The more
RAM the
better!!!
19
What does the CPU consist of?

The central processing unit is the brain of the computer system. Central Processing Unit
It contains both the control and processing aspects of a PC. The
control element is called the control unit (CU) and the processing Control Unit
element is called the arithmetic logic unit (ALU).
We have previously mentioned that the computer follows

instructions called a program, which tell it how to do a task. The Arithmetic
CPU has to understand these instructions one at a time. We are Logic Unit
well aware that if someone gives you an instruction you need to
remember, or store, that instruction first. The CPU also needs
Registers
small amounts of storage space called registers to store and
work with an instruction.
What does the CPU actually do?
During the execution of a program, data and instructions are held in primary storage (RAM and
ROM). These consist of:
• data waiting to be processed

• program instructions
• processed data ready for display or to be sent to some other device.
If you are working on a word processing document, the document and the word processing
program will both be in RAM. When you instruct your word processor to save your work to a disk,
the instructions on how to do this are stored in RAM. These instructions are 'fetched‘, one-by-
one, by the CPU's control unit for the CPU to obey. Since the CPU and the RAM are on the
same motherboard, the communication between them is as fast as possible.
The process of reading and obeying instructions in the CPU is called the fetch-execute cycle.
The following actions take place during this cycle:

• Fetch: the next instruction to be obeyed is read (fetched) from primary
storage and loaded into the control unit registers. The instruction is decoded.
• Execute: the instruction is executed (obeyed) by the ALU and control unit.
This may involve moving or storing data.
The fetch-execute cycle is repeated until the power is turned off.
20
Input Devices
The Keyboard
Keyboards are the most widely used input device,

virtually every personal computer comes equipped
with one! To work
efficiently with a computer you must have a good
working knowledge of the keyboard. Different
computers have
slightly different arrangements for keys. However the
standard alphanumeric characters are usually
arranged in the old style standard typewriter layout,
so named because the top alphabetic keys on the
left are the letters Q-W-E-R-T-Y. The QWERTY
keyboard layout was developed in the late 1800's by C. Sholes (a newspaper editor) and was
the basis of the first commercially successful typewriter (Remington).
The layout is very similar to the keyboard layout of a current generation mechanical
typewriter.
The Sholes (QWERTY) keyboard was designed with the keys placed to slow the typist down. In
particular the left hand has more work to do than the right hand. As the majority of people
are right handed, extra work for the less able left hand slowed the typing speed. Also commonly
used letters on the QWERTY layout are positioned away from the typist's speedy index
fingers (the 'hunt & peck' fingers).
Keyboard Areas
Alphanumeric
These keys provide alphabetic, numeric, punctuation and other characters. Many
keyboards now provide a separate numeric keypad section which makes it easier to enter
numeric data.
Function keys
Special keys usually labelled F1 to F10 or F12. Function keys can be programmed to perform
various program operations, for example, press F1 to obtain help information
screens. Some application software comes with a paper or plastic keyboard function key
template, which is printed with the operation of each function key.
Modifier keys
21
A range of keys can modify the action of another key. Also many computer systems now
use a mouse and when a modifier key is pressed it affects the action of a mouse click.
Common modifier keys include:

 [Ctrl] or [Control]: In combination with other keys this key is used to generate
control characters that may be used as a command to the program or to place a
hidden code into the document. Usually the Ctrl key is held down and the other
key is tapped. For example [Ctrl] [B] typically sets selected text to bold.
 [Alt] & [Option]: These keys may not be found on all keyboards but they perform
a similar function to [Ctrl].
 Custom Keys: Particular computers may have keys unique to that particular operating
system. Such as, Windows keys or Apple keys.
 [SHIFT], [Caps Lock]: The [SHIFT] key modifies the action of alphanumeric keys.
Primarily this is to produce capital letters, but also to produce characters like '*'
instead of '3'. The [Caps Lock] key locks the alphabetic keys into capitals but other
keys are not shifted. Therefore pressing the numeric key produces '3' rather than
'*' as with the case of the [SHIFT] key.
Other keys
 [Return] or [Enter]: Used to execute a command, move the cursor to a new line or
create a new line.
 [Esc] or [Escape]: Terminates the execution of a command or program.
 Cursor keys: Often referred to as 'arrow keys' because they are labelled with
arrows pointing left, right, up and down. They are used to move the cursor (up,
down, left or right) to the appropriate place on the screen display.
 [Tab] Moves the cursor to a preset location on the current line. This is useful for
lining text up in table form. The Tab key is also used to 'jump' to the next data
entry item on a screen display, for example, within a screen dialogue box or when
using a database.
 [Backspace] or [Delete]: (Backspace] deletes the character immediately to the left of
the cursor and moves the cursor back one character to the left. This is useful for
deleting mistakes that have just been typed. On some computers the backspace
key is labelled with an arrow pointing left or may be labelled as [Delete]. With
many keyboards both [Backspace] and [Delete] are both provided. In this case the
[Delete] deletes the character directly above the cursor and the [Backspace] deletes
the character to the left of the cursor. Somewhat confusingly the [Backspace] key is
also used to move back to the previous page in a Web browser.
Most keyboards also have specific keys for large cursor movements, for example, [Page
Up], [Page Down], [Home] and [End].
22
 [Page Up] Moves the cursor to the start of the previous screen.
 [Page Down] Moves the cursor to the start of the next screen.
 [Home] Moves the cursor to the start of the current line or start of a document.
 [End] Moves the cursor to the end of the current line or end of a document.
Research Activity
1. Research some information regarding the DVORAK Keyboard.
 Why was it developed?
 Whom was it developed by?
 Why is it not the most commonly accepted keyboard today
Sources: Computing Studies text books, http://www.webopedia.com/, http://www.au.ask.com/
Locators (Pointing Devices)
Other common input types are locating devices or locators. This type of device
enables various screen positions or locations to be selected by a screen pointer.
• Mouse — the three types of mouse currently available are:
1. Mechanical mouse where movements in the mouse ball are converted
into vertical and horizontal movements of a screen pointer.
2. Optical mouse uses reflected light to detect movement over a silvered mat
containing a black grid. As the mouse crosses the black grid lines, no light is
reflected back. This tells the pointer to move to the next pixel on the screen.
3. Trackball (inverted mouse) where the user moves the trackball itself with
the palm or fingers of the hand.
How it works!
The mouse converts movements in a ball underneath the mouse into a new screen pointer
position. The screen pointer relates directly to the movement in the ball. For this reason, the
mouse is called a relative device.
Graphics (or digitising) Tablet — the term 'digitising' means converting into digital form or
binary, which the computer can understand. A 'tablet' consists of a table containing a grid.
The graphics tablet uses a magnetic puck or stylus (often referred to as a hand-cursor) to
precisely enter actual locations from the tablet onto identical positions on the screen. They
are especially suitable in graphic design and map making where traditional maps can be
traced to produce line objects.
How it works!
In a graphics tablet, the actual position of the locator puck or stylus always corresponds to the
same screen location.
Review Questions (Complete the following answers to the questions in your books)
1. Which input device would be most suitable in the following situations:
a. To be built into a notebook computer
b. To enter text into a computer
23
c. To enter map data from existing maps

d. As a general purpose locating device for a desktop computer?
2. Explain the difference between a trackball and a mechanical mouse. What advantage
does the trackball possess?
3. What does digitising mean?
4. Name the hand-held device which is part of a graphics tablet.
5. Why are infrared keyboards and mouses becoming more popular?
Other Input Devices
Scanner
A scanner is a digitising device. It scans an image to create an accurate binary representation,
which can be further processed or saved in secondary storage. Desktop scanners typically
scan a complete A4 or A3 page in a single pass.
The scanner moves a light source (a strip of light) across the page, which is somewhat
similar to a photocopier. As the strip of light moves along the page, the reflected light is
measured with light sensors. These light sensors output binary data with a one to one
relationship. The scanned image, now in binary form, may then be processed using:
graphics software to enhance and/or modify the image
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software for text based data. OCR software
converts the image of the text directly into primary storage, just as if the text was
keyed at the keyboard.
Others include a microphone, video camera and a digital (still) camera. These will be
discussed in the second unit Tools for Information Processing.
Output Devices
Visual Display Devices (soft copy)

With personal computers we show output on either a visual display device (soft copy) or a printer
(hard copy). With most computers the resolution (fineness of detail displayed) of the printer is
higher than the visual display. Visual display devices are predominantly either cathode ray tube
(CRT) or liquid crystal displays. The quality of such a display is typically measured in terms of
the resolution. Resolution equates to the fineness of detail that can be displayed. It measures in
the number of dots across and down the display where each dot is called a pixel. An average
PC display would display at least 800 pixels across by 600 pixels down, while a higher resolution
display would be 1600 by 1200 pixels. In general the higher the resolution of the display, the
more it will cost.
Even high-resolution displays cannot match the resolution of high quality printers. Common
laser printers achieve a minimum of 300 dpi, with many now providing a resolution of
1200 dpi. Converting pixels on a display into equivalent dots per inch reveals that a
typical high resolution display is less than 100 pixels per inch (ppi) while some specialist
displays can achieve 150 ppi.
24
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
CRT's are the most popular and widely used output visual display device, most personal
computers come with one! Typically a CRT display is of the raster scan type allowing text and
graphics to be displayed. The internal operation of a computer CRT visual display is much like a
normal television CRT display, however a computer CRT is manufactured to produce a higher
resolution image than a normal television. The inner surface of a CRT screen is coated with a
phosphorescent coating that glows briefly when hit by a beam of moving electrons. The electron
beam is generated at the rear of the CRT and is projected toward the front screen. An electron
beam can only strike one point (called a pixel) on the screen at a time. Therefore the beam must
be continually scanned back and forth across the screen in lines. The beam scans from left to
right, moves down a small amount, scans left to right, moves down a small amount and so on
until the screen has been completely scanned. This pattern of scanning is called a raster scan.
Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD's) (+ Plasmas)
This display uses similar technology to the displays used in digital watches and calculators.
LCD's used in computer displays provide higher resolution than displays used in
calculators and watches. LCD displays are commonly used with notebook, laptop and portable
computers, but are also being used with desktop computers. The LCD display is controlled by a
video controller that switches the appropriate pixels on or off to create a matrix of pixels much
like a CRT display.
Colour LCD's are now very common as they don‘t occupy as much desk space as a CRT
monitor. Notice that most offices and government departments have now opted for the LCD
displays as their price is continually decreasing.
Printers (hard copy)
The most common method of printing is by applying dots to the paper, which is called, bit
mapped printing. The term bit mapped is used because there is a one to one relationship
between storage (stored binary digits, that is, bits) and the dots on the paper. The quality of print
with a bit mapped printer is determined by the number of dots (similar to screen resolution) per
unit length — typically measured in dots per inch (dpi). The more dots per unit area the higher
the quality of the print out. Bit mapped printers are either impact or non-impact.
Impact printing involves a hammer or series of tiny pins hitting an inked ribbon, which causes ink
to be pressed onto the paper. This leaves a printed image on the paper. In contrast with non-
impact printing the print head does not actually touch the paper. The hard copy is produced by
squirting ink, in minuscule amounts, or by use of heat and/or laser beams onto the paper.
25
Impact Printers
Dot matrix printers were the most popular impact printer for personal computers but now
they are starting to "disappear into history". The print head consists of a line of 9, 24 or even 48
pins, which produce dots by striking an inked ribbon and pressing it against the paper. The
print head moves across the paper to form a thick scan of dots or a line of characters. The
print head makes many passes across the paper, line by line down the page to produce either
text and/a graphic image.
The quality of dot matrix print is usually referred to as draft, near letter quality (NLQ) or letter
quality (LQ). In draft mode the print head only makes one pass across each line, 9
pin draft is poor, 24/48 pin draft is quite acceptable. The final print quality depends on
the number of passes the print head makes and the number of pins in the print head.
Standard dot matrix printers produced hard copy with around 150 dpi resolution and
because of the impact nature, they are noisy in operation. They are commonly used to print
receipts in department stores and restaurants as there is little need for high quality image
printing.
Non Impact Printers
Ink jet printers
An ink jet printer is a non impact printer. The print head is somewhat similar to that of a
standard dot matrix printer. Instead of pins there are tiny holes, called nozzles or ink jets.
Most print heads currently have at least 80 nozzles and some have up to 304 nozzles.
Whereas a dot matrix printer pushes pins out to strike the ribbon, the ink jet printer squirts
droplet(s) of ink directly onto the paper to produce characters and/or graphical images. The hard
copy is made up of dots of ink that hit the paper and hence an ink jet printer is a bit mapped
printer. Ink jet printers now achieve resolution of up to 1200 dpi and are relatively quiet in
operation.
Laser printers
These are non-impact bit mapped printers. The internal

workings are somewhat like a
photocopier. Instead of copying a page, a computer
controlled laser beam traces the
image onto a rotating drum and this is transferred to black
carbon and then fused onto
the page. Laser printers are relatively quiet, perhaps slightly
noisier than an inkjet. However noise levels will vary from
brand to brand.
26
Laser printers are more expensive than the other printers. However prices are dropping and in
conjunction with the print resolution they offer, provide practical quality output. In comparison
with standard ink jet printers basic laser printers are often cheaper to run and only marginally
more expensive to purchase.
Laser printers are quite fast, producing a minimum of 6 and up to 24 pages per minute.
Resolution of print is typically 600 dots per inch (2.54cm) while laser printers producing 1200
dots per inch are becoming more commonly available. Colour laser printers are also becoming
more common, albeit at a higher price and it will be some time before colour laser printing
technology is used for standard printing functions.
Activity
1. For each hardware device studied thus far, create a table or Venn diagram that compares
the different functions of an alternative device eg impact vs non-impact printers, mouse vs
trackball.
2. Do a cost/benefit analysis on each item using an on-line computer e-tailer.
Eg. www.dstore.com.au, www.dicksmith.com.au,
Ergonomics
In a typical computer-based system there is an interaction between the human user and the
machine. In the past many employees would spend their entire working day in front of a
computer monitor keying in data. Little rest time was provided and poorly designed office
equipment was often used. The symptoms that can arise from incorrect or repetitive practices
include dizziness, headaches, stiff neck, back problems, blurred vision and aching joints.
Ergonomics is the study of human factors involved in the design of the workplace. It
involves adopting work and working conditions to suit the individual worker. Ergonomics involves
studying many factors including the following:
• design of furniture • total work environment
• work routine • techniques used at the keyboard
• placement of equipment •design of software
.
Design of Furniture
Ergonomically designed furniture is designed to reduce the risk of injury workers and to make
their work more enjoyable and productive. Studies have shown that the single most important
item of furniture is the chair. Chairs should provide good posture and have a back rest.
The height of any seat should be adjustable so that your elbows are about level with the desk.
Mobility is important since, if you have a fixed seat and you have to lean sideways or twist to get
to your disks or phone, then this action can cause problems for your back.
Desks should have height and tilt adjustment so that each user can find a comfortable position. A
desk should be large enough so that everything is easily reached. A copy holder should be used
so that the typist can see both the copy and the screen without undue head movement.
27
Monitors have been a cause of concern due to the possible radiation effects on workers over
long periods of use. More common problems with monitors include eye strain and headaches
(caused by flickering screens) and neck problems (caused by monitors being placed at the
incorrect height).
Monitor screens should be flicker-free, have a high resolution so that the screen is easily read
and have an anti-glare coating to prevent eye strain. A large screen size is better
(35 cm or larger) for prolonged work.
Placement of Equipment
The keyboard should be placed so that your lower arms are horizontal while your upper arms are
vertical. The keyboard should angle up slightly and be in direct line with the monitor so that you
do not have to twist sideways to see what you have typed. The mouse should be placed to the
side of the keyboard in easy reach. The monitor should be placed at a comfortable distance but
the centre of the screen should be just below eye level to eliminate possible neck ache and
sore shoulders. The use of a monitor arm which is attached to the desk is highly recommended.
Techniques used at the keyboard

Correct keyboard use, such as the preferred placement of the hands and fingers can reduce the
repetitive strain injuries. Wrist supports can also be used to reduce wrist strain. An upright body
posture is important for those workers who sit at a workstation for Ions periods of time.
Work Routine
Regular breaks from repetitive keyboard input and exercising while at the keyboard have been
found to be useful in reducing the risk of injury to workers.
Flexing interlocked fingers a few times every hour, looking out the window or across the office at
regular intervals, stretching your legs under the desk or standing up at regular intervals are all
exercises designed to help the worker cope with computer use in an office.
16
Job rotation, where keyboard operators are given breaks by performing other jobs in the office, is
also a common way to alter the work routine.
A – 60 cm between eyes and monitor
B – Arm horizontal and wrist

rests
C – Swivel chair that

keeps torso upright F – Adjustable keyboard
D - Adjustable
height
E - Footrest to relieve
thigh/leg strain
17
18
19
Review Questions(Complete the following answers to the questions in your books)
1. What, if any ergonomic features are employed in your school‘s computer rooms?
2. Describe how the correct placement of equipment can help reduce stress in the
workplace?
3. The diagram below points out six important ergonomic features that would be present in a
well designed computer workstation.
Some common features of an ergonomic workstation.
a For each letter in the diagram:-
identify the ergonomic feature

shown
summarize its health benefit
for the worker
b List 3 other ergonomic or

environmental factors not labelled in
the diagram that can affect worker
performance or health.
The diagram below shows an ergonomically designed keyboard.
c What name is given to this

particular keyboard design or
layout?
d What feature of this keyboard
makes it better for typists than the
standard keyboard layout found on
most computers?
20
Review Test
18
Social and Ethical Issues

Source: Davis, S (2008) ‘Information Processes and Technology – Preliminary Course’ Parramatta Education Centre: Sydney
We live together as a social group rather than in isolation, for this to occur harmoniously requires
laws for correct conduct but it also involves many unwritten ways of going about the business of
living. These unwritten morals are known as ethics, some ethics have evolved over time into
laws, however many others remain principles that are understood by society and that influence
the conduct of its members.
For example, most of us would agree that it is morally unacceptable to commence a new
relationship whilst already in a relationship. It is not illegal, however most of us would look poorly
on someone who does this. We would also accept that stealing is unethical, in this
case society has, over time, evolved laws to ensure those who steal are punished.
There inevitably are social and ethical issues which arise from the processing of data into
information. These issues affect not only the participants within the system but also
those outside the information system. It is the responsibility of system designers to
ensure that information systems they create take account of social and ethical issues.
Likewise participants must ensure they use systems in a socially and ethically
acceptable manner. Some of these issues have been recognised by governments and as
a consequence laws have been enacted to ensure compliance. Some of the major issues
include:
 Privacy of the individual
 Security of data and information
 Accuracy of data and information
 Changing nature of work
 Appropriate information use
 Health and safety
 Copyright laws
Consider the following:
1. A website collects email addresses and subsequently sends out advertising emails.
2. A mail order company sells its customer details to another direct mail company.
3. An employee of an energy company views details of her friends‟ accounts.
4. A student downloads information from the web and uses it as part of an
assignment.
5. An employee spends at least 8 hours per day at the keyboard.
19
PRIVACY OF THE INDIVIDUAL
Privacy is about protecting an individual‟s personal information. Personal information

is any information that allows others to identify you. Privacy is a fundamental principle of our
society, we have the right to know who holds our personal information.
Privacy is a feeling of seclusion, where we can be safe from observation

and intrusion. For this to occur we need to feel confident that our personal information
will not be collected, disclosed or otherwise used without our knowledge.
Personal information is required, quite legitimately by many organisations when

carrying out their various functions. This creates a problem, how do we ensure this
information is used only for its intended task and how do we know what these intended tasks
are? Laws are needed that require organisations to provide individuals with answers to these
questions. In this way individuals can protect their privacy.
In Australia, privacy is legally protected via the Privacy Act 1988 and its subsequent
amendments. This act contains ten National Privacy Principles, that set standards that
organisations are required to meet when dealing with personal information, the text in
Fig 1.10 briefly explains each of these principles.
20
Consequences of the Privacy Act 1988 mean that information systems that contain
personal information must legally be able to:
• explain why personal information is being collected and how it will be used
• provide individuals with access to their records
• correct inaccurate information
• divulge details of other organisations that may be provided with information from
the system
• describe to individuals the purpose of holding the information
• describe the information held and how it is managed
STIMULUS:
Human guinea pigs test implanted chip

Smh
February 14, 2006 - 9:09AM
Tiny silicon chips have been embedded into three people who
volunteered to help test the tagging technology at a surveillance
equipment company, an official said pn Monday.
Implanting the so-called RFIDs (radio frequency identification

chips) in the employees at
CityWatcher.com is believed to be the first use of the technology
in living humans in the United States. Sean Darks, chief executive
of the company, was one of those who had the chips embedded.
"I have one," he said. "I'm not going to ask somebody to do something I wouldn't do myself. None of
my employees are forced to get the chip to keep their job."
The chips are the size of a grain of rice and a doctor embedded them in the forearm just under the
surface of the skin, Darks said.
They work "like an access card. There's a reader outside the door; you walk up to the reader, put
your arm under it, and it opens the door," Darks said.
Darks said the implants don't enable CityWatcher.com to track employees' movements.
"It's a passive chip. It emits no signal whatsoever," Darks said. "It's the same thing as a keycard."
CityWatcher.com has contracts with six cities to provide cameras and internet monitoring of high-
crime areas, Darks said.
The company is experimenting with the chips to identify workers with access to vaults where data
and images are kept for police departments, he said.
The technology predates World War II, but has appeared in numerous modern adaptations, such as
tracking pets, vehicles and commercial goods at warehouses.
After Hurricane Katrina, as body counts mounted and missing-person reports multiplied, some
morgue workers in Mississippi used the tiny computer chips to keep track of unidentified remains.
AP
21
SECURITY OF DATA AND INFORMATION
Security of most resources is about guarding against theft or destruction. For example,
an alarm on your car aims to deter thieves and vandals. PIN and PUK codes on mobile
phones are deterrents to theft.
Similar techniques are used to protect data and

information, however there is an additional
problem; most data and information can easily be
edited or copied without any noticeable change to
the original. We therefore require additional
techniques and strategies for dealing with the
security of data and information.
Generally the larger the information system

becomes the more crucial effective
security of the data and information becomes. If
your home computer crashes then the
consequences are annoying but if a bank‟s computer system fails, even for an hour,
the consequences are enormous.
Some possible security issues that all information system designers need to consider
include:
 Virus attacks- Viruses are software programs that deliberately produce some
undesired or unwanted result. Most viruses are spread via attachments to emails
but also by infected media such as floppy disks and CDs.
 Hackers- These are people, often with extensive technical knowledge and skill,
who aim to overcome or get around any security mechanisms used by a computer
system. This allows them to view, and even edit, data and information.
 Theft- Unauthorised copying of data and information onto another system. Also
physical theft of hardware, and as a consequence, the data and information it
contains.
 Unauthorised access by past and present employees- Past and present employees
may maliciously tamper with data or they may view and use data of a private
nature inappropriately.
 Hardware faults- Failure of hardware, and in particular storage devices, can result
in loss of data. It is inevitable that hardware will eventually fail at some time.
 Software faults- Errors in programs can cause data to become corrupted. No

software is completely free of errors.
22
Some strategies commonly used to address the above issues include:

 Passwords- Passwords are used to confirm that a user is who they say they are.
Once verified the user name is then used by the system to assign particular access
rights to the user.
 Backup copies- A copy of important files is made on a regular basis. Should the
original file fail or be lost then the backup copy can be used. It is important to
keep backup copies in a secure location.
 Physical barriers- Machines storing important data and information, or performing

critical tasks are physically locked away.
 Anti-virus software- All files are scanned to look for possible viruses. The antivirus
software then either removes the virus or quarantines the file. The
widespread use of networks, and in particular the Internet, has made anti-virus
software a virtual necessity.
 Firewalls- A firewall provides protection from outside penetration by hackers. It

monitors the transfer of information to and from the network. Most firewalls are
used to provide a barrier between a local area network and the Internet.
 Data encryption- Data is encrypted in such a way that it is unreadable by those

who do not possess the decryption code.
 Audit trails- The information system maintains records of the details of all
transactions. The aim being to make it possible to work backwards and trace the
origin of any problem that may occur.
To implement the above strategies requires that procedures be put in place to ensure
their correct operation. For example: if an employee leaves, their user name and
password needs to be removed, anti-virus software needs to updated regularly to take
account of any new viruses and backup copies need to be checked to ensure they are
occurring correctly.

1. An employee works on a file on their home computer. They then email the file to
work. Unfortunately the file contains a virus.
2. The network administrator for a company is reading employees‟ emails without
their knowledge.
3. Scott likes trying to „get around‟ the security on government computer systems.
He never changes any of the data he finds, he just enjoys breaking in.
4. An employee, whose job is to chase overdue accounts, marks the account of a
friend as paid.
23
ACCURACY OF DATA AND INFORMATION
Inaccurate data results in incorrect information being output from the information system. The
consequences of such incorrect information can be minor, for example a letter addressed
incorrectly, or major, for example a country going to war.
All information systems should include mechanisms for ensuring data accuracy.
There are various techniques used including: data validation and data verification
checks. Data validation involves checking the data is in the correct format and is
reasonable as it is entered into the system.
For example your HSC assessment mark in this course must be a number between 0 and 100,
data can be validated to ensure this is the case, however knowing the mark entered is your
actual result is a different matter. Data verification checks ensure the data entered is actually
correct. For example although 97 is a legitimate HSC mark, perhaps it was mistyped as 79, data
verification corrects such errors. Verifying the integrity or correctness of data is a
much more difficult task than validating it as reasonable.
The accuracy of collected data is improved when the format of data

collection forms ensure data is in the required format and required range.
For example computer-based forms can use check boxes, radio buttons or list boxes to ensure
input is of the type required. These items are said to be „self-validating‟ as they ensure
the data entered is correct in terms of format and range. Both computer and
paper-based forms can include masks that provide a template to indicate the
format of the data required. For example a phone number mask could
be ( _ _ ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, a post code mask could be ####.
CHANGING NATURE OF WORK
The nature of work has seen significant change since the 1960s. These changes have
been both in terms of the types of jobs available and also in the way work is
undertaken. The widespread implementation of computer-based systems, including
computer-based information systems, has been the driving force behind most of these
changes.
In the early 1970s many thought that the consequence of new technologies
would be a reduction in the total amount of work needing to be done, this has not
occurred, rather new industries and new types of employment have been created.
Many people are now working longer hours, in more highly skilled and stressful jobs
than ever before.
The term „Information Technology Revolution‟ has been widely used to

describe changes occurring over the last few decades, however more recently the
term „Global Knowledge Economy‟ has emerged.
24
Information and communication technologies can be regarded as truly

global technologies; they provide the ability to code information and share it globally at high
speed and at minimal cost.
Consider the growth in revenue generated over the Internet (see Fig 1.12); in 1994 it was
estimated to be around 0.008 billion US dollars and in 2002 this had risen to 1234 billion US
dollars.
Globalisation means markets have expanded and international competition has increased.
Furthermore components, services and capital used by business can be sourced from a
worldwide market place.
These changes in the nature of the economy are having profound affects on the nature
of work for the majority of employees. They have altered the type of jobs available to
employees as well as altering the way employees perform these jobs. Let us now
examine what these changes are and how they affect workers.
CHANGES IN THE TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT
During the 1960s there was much concern in regard to the automation of many tasks
traditionally undertaken using manual labour. These jobs were predominantly found
within goods producing industries such as agriculture, mining, manufacturing,
construction and utilities.
The fear, at the time, was that unemployment rates would spiral out of control. Although there
has been a significant decline in the number of jobs within goods producing industries there has
also been a corresponding increase in knowledge and person based service industries.
The data and graph in Fig 1.13 uses information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics to
illustrate this trend.
Knowledge and person based service industries include finance, property, education,
health, entertainment and communication industries.
Jobs within knowledge and person based service industries require skills in regard to
using technology rather than skills that substitute for technology. For example, a clerk
no longer needs to manually search through filing cabinets, rather they need to be able
to use software to query a database.
In other words, the technology performs the search under the clerk‟s direction; the clerk requires
more advanced skills to direct the search than were required to carry out the manual search.
Similarly an increase in the importance of inter-personal skills and a decrease in the importance
of manual skills is occurring. There is little need for physical strength and coordination in
knowledge and person based service industries rather there is an increased need for people to
communicate more effectively with each other.
25
STIMULUS:
Article Category : Business, Labour & Industry : Electronic Trading

Article Section : News
Publication Date : Thursday, 28th April 2005
Authors : Lisa Murray
Net shopping booms
Australians spent at least $617 million buying products and services on the internet in March,
making us the third biggest online shopping country, behind the US and Britain.
The money we spend on the net has jumped 38 per cent since March last year,
according to figures issued yesterday by Visa International. The average transaction was $142.
Visa's survey was backed up by research from ACNielsen which showed that online
shopping in Australia was growing faster than internet usage.
In the past six months, another 343,000 Australians began buying online, an increase of
almost 9 per cent. The research firm said there were now 4.2 million online shoppers in
the country.
"On a per capita basis, we're heavy users of the net and we are comfortable with the
security and technology that comes with online shopping," said Mike Veverka, the chief
executive of Jumbo Corp which manages the online shopping portal www.jumbomall.com.
Mr Veverka said the Brisbane company's total sales were now about $20 million a year,
compared with $2 million five years ago.
EBay Australia said the number of bids on its online auction site jumped by 68 per cent in the
year to January and it now had more than 2 million members.
Visa's general manager for Australia and New Zealand, Bruce Mansfield, said consumers liked
convenience and access to specialised products. He said about one in six Visa e-commerce
transactions was international.
APPROPRIATE INFORMATION USE
Information is created to fulfil some purpose, however often this same information is also useful
to assist in achieving some other purpose. The possibility for inappropriate use of information
arises. Inappropriate use of information can occur intentionally or
it can be quite innocent and unintentional. It is vital to thoroughly understand the
source, nature and accuracy of any information before it is used.
26
Some examples of inappropriate information use include:
1. Client‟s email addresses, collected by a business, are sold to a direct mail company. The
direct mail company then sends out mass advertising or spam mail.
2. A student adds up their trial HSC marks, and converts the total to a percentage in
an attempt to estimate their UAI.
3. Credit checks are made on all applicants for a job based solely on their name. The
employer incorrectly culls some applicants when in fact it is someone else, who
has the same name, that has the poor credit rating.
4. A graph showing a steady increase in sales over the past few years is used to
predict future sales. Management insists each salesman increases their sales to
match this future prediction.
5. A newspaper reporter uses the number of students who gained a band 6 in IPT to
rank the effectiveness of schools.
The appropriate use of information systems is often detailed as a policy statement for
the organisation. The policy outlines inappropriate activities together with the
consequences should a user violate any of the conditions. Typically such a policy
statement would include the following activities as inappropriate usage:
 Unauthorized access, alteration or destruction of another user's data, programs,

electronic mail or voice mail.
 Attempts to obtain unauthorized access to either local or remote computer systems

or networks.
 Attempts to circumvent established security procedures or to obtain access

privileges to which the user is not entitled.
 Attempts to modify computer systems or software in any unauthorized manner.
 Unauthorized use of computing resources for private purposes.
 Transmitting unsolicited material such as repetitive mass mailings, advertising or

chain messages.
 Release of confidential information.
 Unauthorized release of information.
27
COPYRIGHT LAWS
Copyright laws are used to protect the legal rights of authors of

original works. The Copyright Act 1968, together with its
various amendments, details the laws governing copyright in
Australia. Copyright laws are designed to encourage the
creation of original works by limiting their copying and
distribution rights to the copyright owner. The copyright owner
is normally the author of the work, except when the work was
created as part of the author‟s employment; in this case the
employing organisation owns the copyrights. Without copyright
laws there would be little
economic incentive for authors to create new works.
Copyright does not protect the ideas or the information within a

work, rather it protects the way in which the idea or information is expressed. For example, there
are many software products that perform similar processes, however these processes are
performed in different and original ways, hence copyright laws apply. Generally copyright
protection continues for the life of the author plus a further fifty years.
All works are automatically covered by copyright law unless the author specifically states that the
copyrights for the work have been relinquished. The use of the familiar
copyright symbol ©, together with the author‟s name and publication date is not necessary,
however its use is recommended to assist others to establish the owner of a work‟s copyrights.
Computer software, data and information is easily copied, and the copy is identical to
the original. This is not the case with most other products. As a consequence special
amendments to the Copyright Act have been enacted.
In regard to software:
 One copy may be made for backup purposes.

 All copies must be destroyed if the software licence is sold or otherwise
transferred.
 Decompilation and reverse engineering is not permitted. The only exception being
to understand the operation of the software in order to interface other software
products.
 In regard to compilations of information (such as collected statistics and databases of
information):
 The information itself is not covered.
 There must have been sufficient intellectual effort used to select and arrange the
information; or
 The author must have performed sufficient work or incurred sufficient expense to
gather the information even though there was no creativity involved.
28

1. An employee takes a copy of a customer database with them when they leave.
2. A friend gives you a copy of a computer game they got for Christmas.
3. You create a digital phone book using name, address and phone numbers
downloaded from Telstra‟s white pages web site.
ACTIVITY
“The Creative Commons movement can solve the problems caused by copyright infringement”
Discuss
In your response, you will need to refer to Creative Commons, Flickr, the Copyright Act (1968).
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
29
Notes/ Definitions
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
30
Notes/ Definitions
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
31
Notes/ Definitions
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
32

Intro Info Systems Book

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Intro Info Systems Book

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Information Processes and Technology

“What’s Inside I.T?”

Rationale for Information Processes and

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Preliminary Course HSC Course

Information systems in context Techniques for managing a project

Option Strands (40%)

Conceptual Model of the Preliminary Course

Introduction to Information Skills and

40% Tools for Information Processes

Developing Information Systems

8.1 Introduction to Information Skills and Systems

Students learn about: Students learn to:

Students learn about: Students learn to:

Students learn about: Students learn to:

transmitting and receiving – the process that

the nature of data and information

reasons for digital data representation

social and ethical issues

Students learn about: Students learn to:

Information leads to knowledge and knowledge is acquired by being aware of and

Consider the following list of data items:

GROUP TASK Activity

GROUP TASK Discussion

Information Systems In Context

A diagrammatic representation of an information system in context is a pictorial summary of the

Data is the raw material entered into an information system.

Processing is the process that manipulates data into information.

The Information System Diagram or ISD

How to Construct an Information System Diagram or ISD

Identify the name of the information system

Activity: Components of an Information System

analysing information text

1. In an ___________________________ (IS), ____________________________ use

2. The input to an information system is _____________________ and the output from an

3. Information systems are created for a _____________________ and operate in a particular

4. Information technology refers to the _____________________ and _____________________

5. _______________________ is the raw material entered into an information system.

7. The five forms of data are _____________________ _____________________

8. The _____________________ is everything that influences or is influenced by an information

9. The seven information processes are ______________________________________

10. _____________________________________ is the process that involves the interpretation

11. ________________________________________ is the process that determines the format

12. _____________________________________ is the process that determines the form the

14. ______________________________________ is the process that gathers data into the

Activity: “The Opinion Website”

Construct a diagrammatic representation of this information system in context.

Answer the following questions prior to completing your ISD

(a) What is the name of this information system?

Activity: “Real Estate Newsletter”

Answer the following questions prior to completing your ISD

(a) What is the name of this information system?

Construct a diagrammatic representation of this information system in context.

Answer the following questions prior to completing your ISD

(a) What is the name of this information system?

Construct a diagrammatic representation of this information system in context.

Answer the following questions prior to completing your ISD

(a) What is the name of this information system?

Activity: Stimulus Response – Hlp! My prnts cn cntrl my mbl

Hlp! My prnts cn cntrl my mbl

Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and Panasonic all sell Symbian-based phones.

Construct a diagrammatic representation of this information system in context.

Answer the following questions prior to completing your ISD

1. In an _ (IS), __ use

4. Information technology refers to the _ and _

7. The five forms of data are _ _