Data Analysis - Course 2

Fill Handle

a box in the lower-right-hand corner of a selected spreadsheet cell that can be dragged through neighboring cells in order to continue an instruction

Equation

a calculation that involves addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division; aka math expression

Cell reference

a cell or range of cells in a worksheet typically used in formulas and functions

Attribute

a characteristic or quality of data used to label a column in a table

Pivot chart

a chart created from the fields in a pivot table

Database

a collection of data stored in a computer system

Dataset

a collection of data that can be manipulated or analyzed as one unit

Data

a collection of facts

Range

a collection of two or more cells in a spreadsheet

Query language

a computer programming language used to communicate with a database

Structured Query Language (SQL)

a computer programming language used to communicated with a database

Pivot table

a data summarization tool used to sort, reorganize, group, count, total, or average data

Spreadsheet

a digital worksheet

Data science

a field of study that uses raw data to create new ways of modeling and understanding the unknown

Return on investment (ROI)

a formula that uses the metrics of investment and profit to evaluate the success of an investment

Metric goal

a measurable goal set by a company and evaluated using metrics

Gap analysis

a method for examining and evaluating the current state of a process in order to identify opportunities for improvement in the future

Cloud

a place to keep data online, rather than a computer hard drive

Function

a preset command that automatically performs a specified process or test using the data in a spreadsheet

Algorithm

a process or set of rules followed for a specific task

Fairness

a quality of data analysis that does not create or reinforce bias

Relevant question

a question that had significance to the problem to be solved

Specific question

a question that is simple, significant, and focused on a single topic or a few closely related ideas

Unfair question

a question that makes assumptions or is difficult to answer honestly

Time-bound question

a question that specifies a timeframe to be studied

Leading question

a question that steers people toward a certain response

Measurable question

a question whose answer can be quantified and assessed

Action-oriented question

a question whose answers lead to change

Query

a request for data or information from a database

Formula

a set of instructions used to perform a calculation using the data in a spreadsheet

Metric

a single, quantifiable type of data that is used for measurement

Quantitative data

a specific and objective measure, such as a number, quantity, or range

SUM

a spreadsheet function that adds the values of a selected range of cells

COUNT

a spreadsheet function that counts the number of cells in a range that meet a specific criteria

AVERAGE

a spreadsheet function that returns an average of the values form a selected range

MAX

a spreadsheet function that returns the largest numeric value from a range of cells

MIN

a spreadsheet function that returns the smaller numeric value from a range of cells

Report

a static collection of data periodically given to stakeholders

Qualitative data

a subjective and explanatory measure of a quality or characteristic

Operator

a symbol that names the operation or calculation to be performed

SMART methodology

a tool for determining a question's effectiveness based on whether it is specific, measurable, action-oriented, relevant, and time-bound

Dashboard

a tool that monitors live, incoming data

Scope of work (SOW)

an agreed-upon outline of the tasks to be performed during a project

Open data

data that is available to the public

Data-inspired decision-making

exploring different data sources to find out what they have in common

Data design

how information is organized

Big data

large, complex datasets typically involving long periods time, which enable data analysts to address far-reaching business problems

Borders

lines that can be added around two or more cells on a spreadsheet

Stakeholder

people who invest time and resources into a project and are interested in its outcome

Analytical skills

qualities and characteristics associated with using facts to solve problems

Reframing

restating a problem or challenge, then redirecting it toward a potential resolution

Small data

small, specific data point typically involving a short period of time, which are useful for making day-to-day decisions

Technical mindset

the ability to break things down into smaller steps or pieces and work with them in an orderly logical way

Problem domain

the area of analysis that encompasses every activity affecting or affected by a problem

Observation

the attributes that describe a piece of data contained in a row of a table

Data Analysis

the collection, transformation, and organization of data in order to draw conclusions, make predictions, and drive informed decision-making

Context

the condition in which something exists or happens

Header

the first row in a spreadsheet that labels the type of data in each column

Data visualization

the graphical representation of data

Data strategy

the management of the people, processes, and tools used in data analysis

Sorting

the process of arranging data into meaningful order to make it easier to understand, analyze, and visualize

Analytical thinking

the process of identifying and defining a problem, then solving it by using data in an organized, step-by-step manner

Structured thinking

the process of recognizing the current problem or situation, organizing available information, revealing gaps and opportunities, and identifying options

Filtering

the process of showing only the data that meets the specified criteria while hiding the rest

Business task

the question or problem that data analysis resolves for a business

Turnover rate

the rate at which employees voluntarily leave a company

Root cause

the reason why a problem occurs

Data Analytics

the science of data

Data life cycle

the sequence of stages that data experiences, which include plan, capture, manage, analyze, archive, and destroy

Revenue

the total amount of income generated by the sale of goods or services

Data ecosystem

the various elements that interact with one another in order to produce, manage, store, organize, analyze, and share data

Problem types

the various problems that data analysts encounter, including categorizing things discovering connections, finding patterns, identifying themes, making predictions, and spotting something unusual

Data-driven decision-making

using facts to guide business strategy

Order of operations

using parenthesis to group together spreadsheet values in order to clarify the order in which operations should be performed