I am pleased to report that the good old American Heritage Book of English Usage has declared that using data as a singular noun is now kosher.
Sometimes scientists think of data as plural, as in These data do not support the conclusions. But more often scientists and researchers think of data as a singular mass entity like information, and most people now follow this in general usage.
If anyone gives you a hard time about using data as a kind of stuff, just point them to the link, and then feel free to flail them with a wet towel.
25 March 2006 at 3:50 pm
Oh good. Let me know when I can start using “they” instead of “he or she”.
27 March 2006 at 3:04 pm
Do whatever you want; I’ll just sit back and count everyone up.
There isn’t a good solution to that yet, is there? It almost makes you wish you could be around in 200 years to see how it all works out.