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I'm writing a thesis on web information extraction. I use the term information a lot in my thesis, but I'm not sure I should treat it as a plural term or singular term. The following are some cases where I have doubt.

How are faculty member information presented in web pages?

Information extracted from multiple sources are integrated based on some rules.

As you can see from the examples, I use it as a plural term in the context. However, I don't feel right when I actually read it. Anyone please shed some light on this?

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  • Hmm, nothing here at all??? english.stackexchange.com/search?q=information+plural
    – mplungjan
    Aug 21, 2013 at 8:22
  • @mplungjan Thanks for your hint. I have just found this thread, which is more relevant to my problem. In information science, the term data and information are used interchangeably, so I want to make sure the term information can be used as a plural term.
    – Terry Li
    Aug 21, 2013 at 8:41
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    As I understand it, the two sentences you wrote should be: "How is faculty member information/Data presented in web pages?" and "Information/Data extracted from multiple sources is integrated based on some rules."
    – Mohit
    Aug 21, 2013 at 8:47
  • @Mohit That is actually my concern. In university papers, the term data is used as a plural term, so I can't help but think information should be used in the same way.
    – Terry Li
    Aug 21, 2013 at 9:07

1 Answer 1

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I see information as an uncountable noun, like water or sand. If you add information to information, you get more information, not two informations.

In the sentences you have used, it reads better if you treat information as singular:

How *is* faculty member information presented in web pages?

Information extracted from multiple sources *is* integrated based on some rules.

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    Agreed. The word 'information' has not yet reached the point where 'data' has been for years (i.e., as a singular noun). Out of habit, I still use data as a plural noun, but I'm likely the exception, except perhaps for scientists--though even they use increasingly the word 'data' as a singular noun.
    – rhetorician
    Aug 21, 2013 at 13:34

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