data processing
data processing — noun
1. The activity of using computers to organize, calculate, and manage information i
The activity of using computers to organize, calculate, and manage information in a useful way.
Lakan works in the data processing department at a large insurance company.
uncountable noun — 'data processing department' as compound modifier
The course introduces students to basic data processing techniques used in business.
Modern data processing allows hospitals to keep patient records organized and easy to access.
Tomás learned data processing skills to help his family's shop track inventory and sales.
- information processing
A broader term that can include non-computer methods, but often used interchangeably in computing contexts.
- computing
More general — covers all computer-related activities, not just handling data.
用法筆記
This is the broadest, most common meaning. Often appears in job titles (data processing manager) and department names. Used as an uncountable noun — do not say 'data processings'.
常見錯誤
2. The series of steps a computer system follows to handle information, including s
The series of steps a computer system follows to handle information, including storing, sorting, calculating, and producing reports.
The data processing pipeline for the weather station retrieves sensor readings, cleans the numbers, and generates daily forecasts.
collocation: data processing pipeline + listing steps
A timing error during the data processing stage caused incorrect bills to be sent to customers last month.
collocation: data processing stage
Kenji's team built a data processing workflow that sorts through fifty thousand survey responses each afternoon.
Each step in the data processing sequence must be checked for accuracy before the results go to the client.
- data handling
Less technical and slightly broader — can include manual handling, not just computer operations.
- data management
Focuses on organization and storage over the full lifespan of data, rather than the immediate step-by-step operations.
用法筆記
Frequently paired with words that name a sequence: 'pipeline', 'workflow', 'stage', 'sequence', 'chain'. Common in technical and business writing to describe how data moves through a system.
常見錯誤
3. The work of turning unorganized raw information into a form that computers can r
The work of turning unorganized raw information into a form that computers can read and then performing operations on that information to produce useful results.
Before the research team can analyze the patient data, data processing must convert handwritten notes into digital records.
contrast: raw (handwritten) → processed (digital)
Without data processing, the millions of numbers from the satellite would remain a meaningless list.
The raw survey data needs careful data processing to remove errors before any conclusions can be drawn.
Gita's company specializes in data processing for engineering firms that collect measurements from construction sites.
- data conversion
Narrower — focuses specifically on changing formats (e.g. PDF to spreadsheet), not the full workflow of cleaning and processing.
- data transformation
Technically oriented term used in software engineering for changing the structure or values of data.
用法筆記
Emphasizes the transformation aspect — from an unstructured or non-digital form to a structured, machine-readable format. Common in contexts where the starting point is paper records, sensor signals, or other unprocessed inputs.