Expression 'We have very little data'

[Tamara]

Hi

I heard the expression(s) before - too little data, very little data (or, for example, very little commentary) - they are well-understood, but I supposed them to be very informal.

Today I heard 'very-little-data' in a very serious place and context, from a very serious person 8)

Could you give some comment about 'We have very little data'?
Is it OK in/for standard English?
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It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Alan]

Hi Tamara,

'Data' has been accepted as a singular idea like 'information'.

A
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Tamara]

Yes, Alan, I know.

But to me in this case 'little data' brings the idea of amount.
This is I can hardly accept 'little data' (not grammatically, but rather... semantically).
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Alan]

Got it! Yes, 'little' is used in the sense of 'not much' rather than small as in 'little people'

A
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Tamara]

Yesss!!!

Thanks. :)
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Tamara]

Just out of curiosity:
can I say, for example, 'very little detail is available'?
(implying 'not many')

And what happens if I add an article - a/the very little detail is available'?
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Yankee]

[Tamara]

:) Thanks, Amy.