Final answer:
Unstructured data is non-numeric information that is meant for human interpretation and not readily processed by computers, including text, images, and audio.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of data that refers to non-numeric information, which is typically formatted for human interpretation and not easily processed by computers, is Unstructured data. Unstructured data encompasses various forms of information such as text, images, audio, and video. Contrastingly, structured data refers to information with a high level of organization, such as that found in databases, where it is easily searchable by simple, straightforward search engine algorithms or other search operations. Semi-structured data is the middle ground, containing both structured and unstructured elements, and metadata is data about other data that aids in the understanding, use, and management of the primary data.
For instance, qualitative data like hair color or blood type and open survey responses are examples of unstructured data. These forms of data are more challenging to organize and analyze because they don't follow a predefined model or format. In contrast, quantitative data is numerical and can be categorized as either continuous or discrete. Quantitative data comes with a clear structure and is typically easier to analyze computationally.