Do you ever feel like you are on information overload? They say we are living in the Information Age, and it's true that we have more data at our fingertips than ever before. The Internet, e-mail, the media, government entities, and even our peers can produce enough information that it eventually becomes nothing more than noise. At that point it's just a bunch of data, most of which means nothing to the average Joe. It might as well be the Information Overload Age.There is a tipping point at which you discover that there is a difference between information and data. The former is certainly more useful: information reveals facts; it leads to good decision-making; it informs; it is delivered in digestable sizes; it is easy to understand. Data, on the other hand, is a much broader definition of knowledge. Some data is information, but sometimes it's just bits and bytes. If the person consuming the data can't understand or interpret its meaning, it becomes nothing more than useless data. Consider the example of the in-car GPS unit, which has become so popular lately. Internally, the GPS unit triangulates your latitude and longitude position based on satellite triangulation and a digital map, and will calculate the best route based on a number of factors. Now with that calculation, the GPS unit could tell you, "Proceed from your current position at (49°30'20"N, 123°30'75"W) in a north-northeasterly direction for 5.87 miles until you reach your destination at (49°31'10"N, 123°28'55"W)." Although it may be entirely accurate, for most people, that's just meaningless data. What we want is usable information, such as "Turn left onto US Highway 75 and proceed five miles to the Houston/Lamar Street exit."I hear similar complaints from business principals. Because of the complexity and sheer volume of data available, they often become overwhelmed trying to make sense of the myriad facts in front of them. Is my business more profitable than it was during the same quarter two years ago? Which of my service lines are costing more money than they bring in? How can I track employee productivity to reward my top performers? These seemingly simple questions can get complex when you begin dealing with gigabytes of raw data, and is further complicated when different sets of data produce different answers.Whether it's used to run a business, maintain one's personal finances, research a health issue, or complete a school assignment, almost everyone needs access to electronic information every day. For mission-critical decisions, or even everyday use, there are some things you can do to help get better results out of the data that you use:Use reliable sources of data. The Information Age has made it very easy for almost anyone to publish information on the Internet, but this ease of access leads to a lot of garbage data. Seek out the opinions of experts (not self-proclaimed, but recognized by their peers) in that area.Don't rely on a single source of data. Even if you've trusted a particular source of information in the past, validate that the results you receive are within expected norms. This is especially important if the subject matter on which you're searching is subjective in nature (for example, interpretation of the law, opinions on business trends, etc.).Give credit where credit is due. If you use or redistribute information that someone else owns, be sure to follow the law and ensure that the owner of that data is properly acknowledged (or compensated, if required). We could have a whole other discussion about intellectual property, but I'll save that for another day.Know what you're searching for, and refine your question. For example, if you're interested in business profitability, don't just query the big numbers at the bottom of your balance sheet. Use your business intelligence tools to compare your growth across the same fiscal periods from one year to the next, and break it down to an appropriate level of detail – for example, first quarter sales for the past five years, grouped by service line. Use an appropriate level of specificity to mine your data for the treasures it holds.If you store data belonging to others, make sure it's backed up and secure. Businesses and healthcare organizations often store data about their customers, clients, and patients, and if that data were to be lost or hacked, would result in very bad PR, which would likely be followed by lawsuits. Regular backups, including offsite storage of those backups, will insure continued access to that data in the event of a disaster or human error. Taking the appropriate measures to secure data can help prevent theft or misuse. There may be laws specific to backups and security specific to your industry (for example, HIPAA in the healthcare field) so make sure that you know your responsibilities.When your business or livelihood depends on turning data in to reliable information, establish a relationship with a reputable company that deals in data management. Technology is pervasive throughout business, healthcare, communications, and entertainment, and that wired trend will continue to grow exponentially. Having a partner to deal with mission critical data management issues is a must.The deluge of data we see every day is likely to continue for decades. Remember to search smartly, be cautious of whom and what you trust, and call on the appropriate expert resources when necessary. Happy computing!