Data

Data is plural; datum is singular. When dealing with statisticians or scientists, always number data and datum correctly. Outside scientific writing, however, data has found frequent use as a mass noun, sometimes with the singular data point, which has even formed the redundant plural data points. Prefer the traditional data are to data is, but understand that, whether we like it or not, common usage will revise the traditional plural into an accepted mass noun, likely within our lifetime.