Data "is" or "are" ?

In one of my books in English, the phase " Data are used" keeps coming up, and it keeps bothering me... I always thought that the correct form is "Data is used". :aranjare:

I searched Google and found both the "are" and the "is" versions have been used in plenty of documents

http://www.google.ro/search?hl=ro&clie...utare&meta=

http://www.google.ro/search?hl=ro&clie...utare&meta=

So, what do you say? Which one is correct???

PS: The are version hurts my ears :D .

Anonymus Kline a scris:

In one of my books in English, the phase " Data are used" keeps coming up, and it keeps bothering me... I always thought that the correct form is "Data is used". :aranjare:

I searched Google and found both the "are" and the "is" versions have been used in plenty of documents

http://www.google.ro/search?hl=ro&clie...utare&meta=

http://www.google.ro/search?hl=ro&clie...utare&meta=

So, what do you say? Which one is correct???

PS: The are version hurts my ears :D .

I think that "data is" is the correct form...

data

group noun

information, especially facts or numbers, collected for examination and consideration and used to help decision-making, or information in an electronic form that can be stored and processed by a computer:

The data was/were collected by various researchers.

Now the data is being transferred from magnetic tape to hard disk.

I think it depends on the context..

The information from the quote box is taken from http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

Data is singularia tantum -- that is, doesn't have a plural. It follows logically that ARE can be used only when data is conjuncted with another noun, for instance "the discs and the data are now safe" :aranjare:

Both forms are correct but different.

Data - collective noun, uncountable

Radar data is used to track the aircraft.

Data - noun, plural (sg. datum) countable

The following data are used in the flight data processing:

• radar data;
  
• flight plan data.
  

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Main Entry:

da

edit 8)

I've only ever used 'is'. Ive never even seen an example where 'are' is used with Data. I always like to be proved wrong though

Both forms are corect for this noun, because it's uncountable.

Hey Roo, wussup

da

Rogeroo a scris:

I've only ever used 'is'. Ive never even seen an example where 'are' is used with Data. I always like to be proved wrong though

You're the native English speaker so you should know this better. However my colleagues, your countrymen, use this as aforesaid and examples can be easily found.

Now please find below an example where "data" is used with the verb "to be", in plural, past tense. And if this is wrong ...then...

data

group noun

information, especially facts or numbers, collected for examination and consideration and used to help decision-making, or information in an electronic form that can be stored and processed by a computer:

• The data was/were collected by various researchers.
  
• Now the data is being transferred from magnetic tape to hard disk.
  

souce: Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

click here to read

Later edit: Link u/s

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp...0&dict=CALD

Roo was only making a statement based on his personal experience. And that statement may well be correct. As explained in my previous post, it all depends on what one means by "data". If it's used in an explicit framework (as in quantitative research), plural is correct. However, it is commonly used with a singular verb in the media when it refers to an item of information (e.g. as in "the data shows" when referring to a research), so it's quite possible that Roo has encountered it almost exclusively with a singular verb.