diff --git a/crates/app/src/main.rs b/crates/app/src/main.rs
index ffd7271..7780bbb 100644
--- a/crates/app/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/app/src/main.rs
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ mod dev {
                     let pipe = PipelineBuilder::new().add(1).stringify().build();
                     println!(
                         "{:?}",
-                        pipe.run(vec![num0.into(), num1.into()].into()).into_inner()[0]
+                        pipe.run(vec![&num0.into(), &num1.into()].into())
+                            .into_inner()[0]
                     );
                 }
             }
diff --git a/crates/eval/src/lib.rs b/crates/eval/src/lib.rs
index c3a6c38..8687d91 100644
--- a/crates/eval/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/eval/src/lib.rs
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ impl Available {
     #[must_use]
     pub fn pick(&self) -> Box<dyn Evaluator> {
         match self {
-            Self::Debug => Box::new(kind::debug::Evaluator::default()),
+            Self::Debug => Box::<kind::debug::Evaluator>::default(),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/data/io.rs b/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/data/io.rs
index d091621..59e2f28 100644
--- a/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/data/io.rs
+++ b/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/data/io.rs
@@ -1,26 +1,19 @@
 //! Types for element and pipeline IO
 
-use std::convert::Into;
+use std::{borrow::ToOwned, convert::Into};
 
-use super::raw::{Data, DataRef};
+use super::raw::Data;
 
 /// Newtype struct with borrowed types for pipeline/element inputs, so that doesn't force a move or clone
-pub struct Inputs<'a>(Vec<DataRef<'a>>);
+pub struct Inputs<'a>(pub Vec<&'a Data>);
 
-impl<'a> Inputs<'a> {
-    /// get inner value(s)
-    pub(crate) fn inner(&self) -> Vec<DataRef<'a>> {
-        self.0.clone()
-    }
-}
-
-impl<'a> From<Vec<DataRef<'a>>> for Inputs<'a> {
-    fn from(value: Vec<DataRef<'a>>) -> Self {
+impl<'a> From<Vec<&'a Data>> for Inputs<'a> {
+    fn from(value: Vec<&'a Data>) -> Self {
         Self(value)
     }
 }
 
-impl<'a, T: Into<DataRef<'a>>> From<T> for Inputs<'a> {
+impl<'a, T: Into<&'a Data>> From<T> for Inputs<'a> {
     fn from(value: T) -> Self {
         Self(vec![value.into()])
     }
@@ -53,12 +46,6 @@ impl<T: Into<Data>> From<T> for Outputs {
 }
 impl From<Inputs<'_>> for Outputs {
     fn from(value: Inputs) -> Self {
-        Self(
-            value
-                .0
-                .into_iter()
-                .map(|i: DataRef<'_>| DataRef::to_owned_data(&i))
-                .collect(),
-        )
+        Self(value.0.into_iter().map(ToOwned::to_owned).collect())
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/data/raw.rs b/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/data/raw.rs
index acc75c1..502bb91 100644
--- a/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/data/raw.rs
+++ b/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/data/raw.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 //! Dynamic data storage and transfer types for use in [`io`]
 
-/// Owned data type, for use mostly in outputs and storage
+// Dynamic data type
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub enum Data {
     String(String),
@@ -18,41 +18,3 @@ impl From<i32> for Data {
         Self::Int(value)
     }
 }
-
-/// Unowned data type, for inputs into runner functions
-#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug)]
-pub enum DataRef<'a> {
-    String(&'a str),
-    Int(i32),
-}
-
-impl DataRef<'_> {
-    /// converts itself to `OwnedData`
-    pub fn to_owned_data(&self) -> Data {
-        match self {
-            DataRef::String(s) => (*s).to_owned().into(),
-            DataRef::Int(i) => (*i).into(),
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-impl<'a> From<&'a str> for DataRef<'a> {
-    fn from(value: &'a str) -> Self {
-        Self::String(value)
-    }
-}
-
-impl From<i32> for DataRef<'_> {
-    fn from(value: i32) -> Self {
-        Self::Int(value)
-    }
-}
-
-impl<'a> From<&'a Data> for DataRef<'a> {
-    fn from(value: &'a Data) -> Self {
-        match value {
-            Data::String(s) => DataRef::String(s),
-            Data::Int(i) => DataRef::Int(*i),
-        }
-    }
-}
diff --git a/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/ops/num.rs b/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/ops/num.rs
index a6ac18c..1a0a701 100644
--- a/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/ops/num.rs
+++ b/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/ops/num.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use core::panic;
 use crate::experimental::trait_based::{
     data::{
         io::{Inputs, Outputs},
-        raw::DataRef,
+        raw::Data,
     },
     element::{DataType, ElementSignature, PipelineElement},
 };
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ pub struct Add(pub i32);
 impl PipelineElement for Add {
     fn runner(&self) -> fn(&Inputs) -> Outputs {
         |input| {
-            let [DataRef::Int(i0), DataRef::Int(i1), ..] = input.inner()[..] else {
+            let [Data::Int(i0), Data::Int(i1), ..] = input.0[..] else {
                 panic!("Invalid data passed")
             };
             (i0 + i1).into()
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ pub struct Subtract(pub i32);
 impl PipelineElement for Subtract {
     fn runner(&self) -> fn(&Inputs) -> Outputs {
         |input| {
-            let [DataRef::Int(i0), DataRef::Int(i1), ..] = input.inner()[..] else {
+            let [Data::Int(i0), Data::Int(i1), ..] = input.0[..] else {
                 panic!("Invalid data passed")
             };
             (i0 + i1).into()
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ pub struct Stringify;
 impl PipelineElement for Stringify {
     fn runner(&self) -> fn(&Inputs) -> Outputs {
         |input| {
-            let [DataRef::Int(int), ..] = input.inner()[..] else {
+            let [Data::Int(int), ..] = input.0[..] else {
                 panic!("Invalid data passed")
             };
             int.to_string().into()
diff --git a/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/ops/str.rs b/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/ops/str.rs
index 49ce606..01fd25a 100644
--- a/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/ops/str.rs
+++ b/crates/prowocessing/src/experimental/trait_based/ops/str.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 use crate::experimental::trait_based::{
     data::{
         io::{Inputs, Outputs},
-        raw::DataRef,
+        raw::Data,
     },
     element::{DataType, ElementSignature, PipelineElement},
 };
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ pub struct Concatenate(pub String);
 impl PipelineElement for Concatenate {
     fn runner(&self) -> fn(&Inputs) -> Outputs {
         |input| {
-            let [DataRef::String(s0), DataRef::String(s1), ..] = input.inner()[..] else {
+            let [Data::String(s0), Data::String(s1), ..] = input.0[..] else {
                 panic!("Invalid data passed")
             };
             format!("{s0}{s1}").into()
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ pub struct Upper;
 impl PipelineElement for Upper {
     fn runner(&self) -> fn(&Inputs) -> Outputs {
         |input| {
-            let [DataRef::String(s), ..] = input.inner()[..] else {
+            let [Data::String(s), ..] = input.0[..] else {
                 panic!("Invalid data passed")
             };
             s.to_uppercase().into()
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ pub struct Lower;
 impl PipelineElement for Lower {
     fn runner(&self) -> fn(&Inputs) -> Outputs {
         |input| {
-            let [DataRef::String(s), ..] = input.inner()[..] else {
+            let [Data::String(s), ..] = input.0[..] else {
                 panic!("Invalid data passed")
             };
             s.to_lowercase().into()