From WordNet (r) 1.6 [wn]:

  data
       n : a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn;
           "statistical data" [syn: {information}]

In the Foskett Data->Information->Knowledge->Wisdom pyramid data are "the single items of consciousness and thought" at the "first stage of cognition" [foskett_fruitful]. In other words data are perceptions of phenomena: I see a blue dog. Data may be collected and stored. Processing data can lead to more data or to information.