Which statement best differentiates recording from reporting?

• A. Recording is communicating data; reporting is collecting data.
• B. Recording is collecting data; reporting is communicating data.
• C. Recording is analyzing data; reporting is archiving data.
• D. Recording is data entry; reporting is data cleaning.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is the difference between capturing data and sharing its meaning. Recording means actively collecting data about behavior as it happens—writing down what you observe, such as counts, durations, or latency—so you have raw information to work with. Reporting means presenting and communicating that information to others in a useful form—summaries, graphs, and explanations that help decisions be made.

So recording as collecting data and reporting as communicating data matches how the process works: you first gather the facts, then you convey what those facts show. The other descriptions mix up roles—recording isn’t primarily about communicating, and reporting isn’t simply about analyzing, archiving, data entry, or cleaning.