What Is Data Analysis? With Examples Data analysis is the practice of working
with data to glean useful information, which can then be used to make informed
decisions.
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins
to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts," Sherlock
Holme's proclaims in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's A Scandal in Bohemia. This idea
lies at the root of data analysis. When we can extract meaning from data, it
empowers us to make better decisions. And we’re living in a time when we have
more data than ever at our fingertips. Companies are wisening up to the benefits
of leveraging data. Data analysis can help a bank to personalize customer
interactions, a health care system to predict future health needs, or an
entertainment company to create the next big streaming hit. The World Economic
Forum Future of Jobs Report 2020 listed data analysts and scientists as the top
emerging job, followed immediately by AI and machine learning specialists, and
big data specialists [1]. In this article, you'll learn more about the data
analysis process, different types of data analysis, and recommended courses to
help you get started in this exciting field. Read more: How to Become a Data
Analyst (with or Without a Degree)
Data analysis process
As the data available to companies continues to grow both in amount and
complexity, so too does the need for an effective and efficient process by which
to harness the value of that data. The data analysis process typically moves
through several iterative phases. Let’s take a closer look at each.
Identify
the business question you’d like to answer. What problem is the company trying
to solve? What do you need to measure, and how will you measure it?
Collect
the raw data sets you’ll need to help you answer the identified question. Data
collection might come from internal sources, like a company’s client
relationship management (CRM) software, or from secondary sources, like
government records or social media application programming interfaces (APIs).
Clean
the data to prepare it for analysis. This often involves purging duplicate and
anomalous data, reconciling inconsistencies, standardizing data structure and
format, and dealing with white spaces and other syntax errors.
Analyze
the data. By manipulating the data using various data analysis techniques and
tools, you can begin to find trends, correlations, outliers, and variations that
tell a story. During this stage, you might use data mining to discover patterns
within databases or data visualization software to help transform data into an
easy-to-understand graphical format.
Interpret
the results of your analysis to see how well the data answered your original
question. What recommendations can you make based on the data? What are the
limitations to your conclusions? Watch this video to hear what data analysis how
Kevin, Director of Data Analytics at Google, defines data analysis.
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento