Ok, so data mangagement...fine, but what is/are data?

Data
Data are all the material, regardless of format, which are intended to be analysed. As part of datasets, they are the primary element of a data collection. More precise definitions of data vary according to context. Quantitative data may refer to just the matrices of numbers or words that comprise a data file, but may also cover other information (metadata) held within a statistical package data file, such as variable labels, code labels and missing value definitions. Qualitative data might include interview transcripts as well as audio and video recordings (analogue or digital).

UK Data Archive (2010), UK Data Archive Preservation Policy, pp.14-15