You have learned that there are six stages to the data life cycle. Here's a recap:
- Plan:
Decide what kind of data is needed, how it will be
managed, and who will be responsible for it.
- Capture:
Collect or bring in data from a variety of different sources.
- Manage:
Care for and maintain the data. This includes determining how and where it
is stored and the tools used to do so.
- Analyze:
Use the data to solve problems, make decisions, and support business
goals.
- Archive:
Keep relevant data stored for long-term and future reference.
- Destroy:
Remove data from storage and delete any shared copies of the data.
Note: Be careful not to confuse the six stages of the
data life cycle (plan, capture, manage, analyze, archive, and destroy) with the
six phases of the data analysis process (ask, prepare, process, analyze,
share, and act). They are not interchangeable.
The data life cycle provides a generic or common framework
for how data is managed. You may recall that variations of the data analysis
life cycle were described in Origins of the
data analysis process. The same can be done for the data life cycle. The
rest of this reading provides a glimpse of how government, finance, and
education institutions can view data life cycles a little differently.
