The Mx and My data (digital MR signal) sampled and stored during data acquisition as a function of time and phase from an MRI sequence are called raw data. The horizontal axis is the frequency code, the vertical axis the phase code (of the protons).
Every point in the raw data matrix contains part of the information for the complete image. A point in the raw data matrix does not correspond to a point in the image matrix. The outer rows of the raw data matrix provide information regarding the borders and contours of the image, detailed structures, and also determine the resolution. This is also called k-space data.

In single shot techniques (used for EPI, TSE, FSE, RARE, HASTE), the entire raw data set is acquired with a single excitation pulse. The magnetization of a fully relaxed spin system is used. Each of the subsequent echoes is given a different phase encoding. For improved SNR, spatial resolution or FOV, the needed raw data are acquired over a number of sequence repetitions. Each repetition then collects a fraction of the complete raw data set. Only slightly more than a half of the raw data is acquired. The image is obtained through half Fourier reconstruction.
A single shot sequence is useful in cases where movement is to expect e.g. in abdominal Imaging or fetal MRI.

See also Half Fourier Acquisition Single Shot Turbo Spin Echo.

In some cases raw data are displayable. These are typically just the real part of the complex raw data, and have been scaled to emphasize the interesting details. Therefore, they cannot be successfully transformed to reproduce the displayed images, but may help to find artifacts or the reason for bad image quality.

This artifact looks like a pixel at the exact center, which is brighter or darker than the surroundings by the Fourier transformation of a constant raw data offset.

See Central Point Artifact.

This sequence type is a TSE counterpart to double echo sequences. To keep the echo train as short as possible, only echoes for PD and T2 weighted images, where the phase encoding gradient has a small amplitude, are measured separately. The echoes that determine resolution are used in both raw data matrices. This reduces the number of echoes required. Also the SAR drops and more slices can be acquired in the same repetition time.