D468: Discovering Data
Which of the following tactics can a data analyst use to effectively blend gut instinct with facts? (Select all that apply) - Apply their unique past experiences to their current work, while keeping in mind the store the data is telling. - Ask how to define success for a project, but rely most heavily on their own personal perspective. - Use their knowledge of how their company works to better understand a business need. - Focus on intuition to choose which data to collect and how to analyze it.
- Apply their unique past experiences to their current work, while keeping in mind the store the data is telling. - Use their knowledge of how their company works to better understand a business need.
Which of the following examples are closed-ended questions? Select all that apply. 1. Is math your favorite subject? 2. What grade did you get on the math test? 3. What are your thoughts about math? 4. How old are you?
1, 2, 4
Which of the following examples are leading questions? Select all that apply. 1. What do you enjoy most about our service? 2. In what ways did our product meet your needs? 3. How did you learn about our company? 4. How satisfied are you with our customer representative?
1, 2, 4
If a cooking supply store wants to attract more customers, where can they advertise to better reach their target audience? Select all that apply. 1. In a magazine all about advertising 2. On TV during the season finale of The Best Chef in the Universe 3. On a podcast for foodies 4. At a bus stop near a local culinary school
2, 3, 4
Which of the following examples describes using data to achieve business results? Select all that apply. 1. A movie theater tracks the number of weekend movie goers for 3 months. 2. A large retailer performs data analysis on product purchases to create better promotions. 3. A grocery chain collects data on sale items and pricing from each store. 4. A video streaming service analyzes user preferences to customize movie recommendations.
2, 4
A dashboard would be most beneficial for which of the following scenarios? 1. An analyst needs a summary of data upon request 2. A consultant needs all historical data for an audit 3. A project manager needs to monitor data as it becomes available 4. A cross functional team needs an ad-hoc update
3
Describe the difference between data and metrics. 1. Data is quantifiable and used for measurement. Metrics are unorganized collections of facts. 2. Data is quantifiable. Metrics are not quantifiable. 3. Data can be used for measurement. Metrics cannot be used for measurement. 4. Data is a collection of facts. Metrics are quantifiable data types used for measurement.
4
What is one thing data strategy can provide? Ensures the mandates are followed A high-level path to achieve the goal An immediate solution to a known problem Identifies what type of analysis should be performed
A high-level path to achieve the goal
_____ involves the ability to break things down into smaller steps or pieces and work with them in an orderly or logical way. Curiosity Context Data strategy A technical mindset
A technical mindset
A data analyst shares insights from their analysis during a formal presentation to stakeholders. In a slideshow, they make a data-driven recommendation for how to solve a business problem. What phase of the data analysis process would come next? Act Prepare Process Ask
Act
In which phase is the analyst starting to organize available information, revealing gaps and recognizing opportunities to identify the problem? Process Share Act Ask
Act
A data analyst uses the SMART methodology to create a question that encourages change. This type of question can be described how? Motivational Stimulating Results-focused Action-oriented
Action-oriented
During a meeting, an analyst proposes multiple data-based solutions and the level of effort required to implement each solution. Which type of skill set has the analyst applied? Management Convergent thinking Technical Analytical
Analytical
What practice involves identifying, defining, and solving a problem by using data in an organized, step-by-step manner? Visualization Data design Context Analytical thinking
Analytical thinking
A data analyst is working at a small tech startup. On their current project they are using spreadsheets to aggregate data. In which stage of the data life cycle is this analyst? Archive Manage Plan Analyze
Analyze
After opening the ice cream shop on her farm, the same dairy farmer then surveys the local community about people's favorite flavors. She uses the data she collected to determine that the top five flavors are strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, mint chip, and peanut butter. She feels confident in her decision to sell these flavors. This is part of which phase of the data life cycle? Analyze Plan Capture Archive
Analyze
During which phase of data analysis would a data analyst use spreadsheets or query languages to transform data in order to draw conclusions? Prepare Process Analyze Act
Analyze
In the data life cycle, which phase involves using data to solve problems, make good decisions, and support business goals? Manage Plan Capture Analyze
Analyze
Which strategy should an analyst implement in the Ask phase? - Ask as many questions as needed until the solution is identified - Limit the number of questions asked to avoid upsetting the customer - Ask as many questions as needed until there is a clear understanding of the problem - Limit the number of questions to the predetermined threshold defined by the client
Ask as many questions as needed until there is a clear understanding of the problem
What do visualization, strategy, problem orientation, correlation, and attention to detail represent? Features of report building Aspects of an innovative environment The mentoring skill set Aspects of analytical thinking
Aspects of analytical thinking
An analyst receives feedback from a client regarding the analysis of data. What should the analyst do with the feedback during the Share phase? Assess and implement Release as a solution Mark the analysis as complete Continue the analysis
Assess and implement
The collection, transformation, and organization of data in order to draw conclusions, make predictions, and drive informed decision-making describes _______. Data analysis Data life cycle Data science Data ecosystem
Data analysis
Which of the following terms refers to the collection, transformation, and organization of data in order to draw conclusions, make predictions, and drive informed decision-making? Data analysis Data insight Data life cycle Data elements
Data analysis
An airline collects, observes, and analyzes its customers' online behaviors. Then, it uses the insights gained to choose what new products and services to offer. What business process does this describe? Analytical thinking Collaboration with stakeholders Performance measurement Data-driven decision-making
Data driven decision-making
Which of the following statements best defines data? Data is the use of calculations and statistics. Data is a collection of facts. Data is a business process. Data is an assortment of questions.
Data is a collection of facts.
Which analytical skill involves managing the people, processes, and tools used in data analysis? Understanding context Data strategy Curiosity Data design
Data strategy
Why do organizations rely on the analysis of data to make business decisions? - The more available data an organization has, the greater protection is provided from government audits. - Data-driven decisions help leaders make informed decisions that result in better business outcomes. - Data-driven decisions exempt leadership from blame when business outcomes are poor. - The more available data an organization has, the better business decisions it will make.
Data-driven decisions help leaders make informed decisions that result in better business outcomes.
The data analysis process phases are ask, prepare, process, analyze, share, and act. What do data analysts do during the ask phase? Collect and store data Create data visualizations Clean the data Define the problem to be solved
Define the problem to be solved
What actions might a data analytics team take in the act phase of the data analysis process? Select all that apply. Finalizing a strategy based on the analysis Sharing analysis results using data visualization Validating insights provided by analysts Putting a plan into action to help solve the original business problem
Finalizing a strategy based on the analysis Validating insights provided by analysts Putting a plan into action to help solve the original business problem
A data analyst at an online retailer works with historical sales data. The analyst identifies repeating trends in the sales data. This is an example of which problem type? Finding patterns Categorizing things Identifying themes Making predictions
Finding patterns
Which of the following are examples of data visualizations? Select all that apply. Reports Graphs Maps Charts
Graphs Maps Charts
Which activity regards credibility, integrity, and privacy as the most important considerations? Hosting customer information Sharing earnings reports with the government Mass deletion of historical data Internally reviewing customer satisfaction surveys
Hosting customer information
What is the potential impact of using one data point to make a decision? It removes distractors to improve decision-making. It identifies a key area for the business. It increases the likelihood of making poor decisions. It allows the business to create a long-term road map.
It increases the likelihood of making poor decisions.
On a customer service questionnaire, a data analyst asks, "If you could contact our customer service department via chat, how much valuable time would that save you?" Why is this question unfair? It uses slang words that not everyone can understand It is closed-ended It makes assumptions It is vague
It makes assumptions
Why is data design important in analytics? It prevents data breaches. It improves database linkages. It defines the high-level business goals. It makes the data readily available.
It makes the data readily available.
A dairy farmer decides to open an ice cream shop on her farm. After surveying the local community about people's favorite flavors, she takes the data they provided and stores it in a secure hard drive so it can be maintained safely on her computer. This is part of which phase of the data life cycle? Analyze Manage Archive Plan
Manage
Questions leading to answers that can be quantified and assessed align with which component of the SMART methodology? Appropriate Reasonable Tangible Measurable
Measurable
An analyst is working with a relatively small data set that is ideal for spreadsheet analysis. Which two tools does the analyst have the option of working with? Vizio and Project Tableau and Microsoft Power BI Microsoft Word and Teams Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets
Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets
How does data modeling help with problem-solving? Modeling addresses issues within database structures to solve the right problems. Modeling ensures that raw data are processed before making a decision. Modeling is the foundation that allows stakeholders to ask the right questions. Modeling creates a visual representation of data relationships that allow for actionable insights.
Modeling creates a visual representation of data relationships that allow for actionable insights.
During the ____ phase of the data life cycle, a business decides what kind of data it needs, how it will be managed, who will be responsible for it, and the optimal outcomes. Archive Manage Capture Planning
Planning
A data analyst is trying to understand what data to use to help solve a business problem. They're asking questions such as, "What internal data is available in the database?" and "What outside facts do I need to research?" The data analyst is in which phase of the data analysis process? Ask Share Prepare Act
Prepare
Which data life cycle phase occurs immediately after the understanding of the problem? Process Act Prepare Ask
Prepare
In which step of the data analysis process would an analyst ask questions such as, "What data errors might get in the way of my analysis?" or "How can I clean my data so the information I have is consistent?" Process Analyze Ask Prepare
Process
Return on Investment (ROI) uses which of the following metrics in its definition? Sales and margin Inventory and units Profit and investment Supply and demand
Profit and investment
How does a profit and loss statement help a business formulate decisions? - Profit and loss statements reveal creative ways to make tax codes work for the business. - Profit and loss statements provide the business with a view of its budget and spending throughout the year to inform decisions. - Profit and loss statements expose issues and trends in the external economic environment. - Profit and loss statements assign responsibility to leadership when faced with losses.
Profit and loss statements provide the business with a view of its budget and spending throughout the year to inform decisions.
What does hypothesis mean in data analysis? Proposing a testable solution to the problem to ensure it resolves the problem Making a conclusion about the problem that can be shared with the client Investigating a problem and ensuring it has multiple viable solutions Assessing a problem and ensuring the problem is understood
Proposing a testable solution to the problem to ensure it resolves the problem
A data analyst wants to retrieve information from a database. Select the correct tool from the data analyst's toolkit. Dashboard Visualization Spreadsheet Query
Query
A business analyst is using Microsoft Excel to determine the total sales for a region. Which basic Excel formula should the analyst use to calculate this figure? Sequencing SUM AND function Exponentials
SUM
A data analyst creates data visualizations and a slideshow. Which phase of the data analysis process does this describe? Share Prepare Process Act
Share
In which data analysis phase would a data analyst use visuals such as charts or graphs to simplify complex data for better understanding? Prepare Act Share Process
Share
Which data analysis process involves communicating results? Analyze Share Ask Act
Share
A data analyst working for an agricultural company examines why a dataset has a surprising and rare data point. This is an example of which problem type? Categorizing things Making predictions Finding patterns Spotting something unusual
Spotting something unusual
What is one of the five key aspects of analytical thinking? Intuition Creativity Implementation Strategy
Strategy
Making predictions is one of the six data analytics problem types. How does data factor into such problem types? The predictions validate the data. The data confirms the decisions. The data are the predictions. The data informs the predictions.
The data informs the predictions.
A data analyst working for a mid-sized retailer is writing questions for a customer experience survey. One of the questions is: "Do you prefer online or in-store?" Then, they rewrite it to say: "Do you prefer shopping at our online marketplace or shopping at your local store?" Describe why this is a more effective question. The first question is closed-ended, whereas the second question encourages the respondent to elaborate The first question is leading, whereas the second question could have many different answers. The first question contains slang that might not make sense to everyone, whereas the second question is easily understandable. The first question is vague, whereas the second question includes important context.
The first question is vague, whereas the second question includes important context.
Which statement characterizes problems in the context of data analytics? They are issues requiring exploration. They are subjects that can be addressed with one-step solutions. They vary in size and complexity. They are identified as large, complicated situations.
They vary in size and complexity.
A cosmetics subscription service sets a goal to increase sales in Quarter 1 and again in Quarter 2. Which SMART goal metric does this satisfy? Specific Relevant Ambitious Time-bound
Time-bound
While considering a research question, a data analyst follows the SMART methodology. They limit their analysis to include data from July 2012 to August 2012. What component of the SMART framework describes this decision? Topical Targeted Time-bound Thoughtful
Time-bound
What is the goal of the Prepare phase of data analysis in order to move to the next phase? To understand the problem To explore the data To communicate results To build a timeline and collect data
To build a timeline and collect data
What is the ultimate goal of data analysis? To release the database load To ensure leadership accountability for data-driven decisions To extract valuable drivers from the data To ensure data complexity is controlled
To extract valuable drivers from the data
What is the purpose of the first step of the data analytics life cycle called SAS? To understand the business challenges To prepare the data To clean the data To visualize the results
To understand the business challenges
The customer requests sales predictions for the upcoming quarter. In order to produce a report, the analyst asks the customer if there are sales data from past years. Which aspect of the data will the analyst review in order to provide the requested report? Planning Trends Forecast Anomalies
Trends
T/F: During the process phase of data analysis, a data analyst cleans data to make sure it is complete and correct.
True
True or False: If someone is subjectively describing their feelings or emotions, it is qualitative data.
True
True or False: Structured thinking involves recognizing the current problem or situation you're facing and identifying your options.
True
The analytical skill of understanding context entails which of the following? - Breaking things down into smaller steps or pieces - Understanding the condition in which something exists or happens - Balancing roles and responsibilities - Managing people, processes, and tools
Understanding the condition in which something exists or happens
Why should a data analyst only as fair questions? Unfair questions do not have answers Unfair questions can provide data that is misleading Fair questions are biased Fair questions do not offend people
Unfair questions can provide data that is misleading
A data analytics team works to recognize the current problem. Then, they organize available information to reveal gaps and opportunities. Finally, they identify the available options. These steps are part of what process? Categorizing things Applying SMART methodology Making connections Using structured thinking
Using structured thinking
In the plan stage of the data life cycle, what decisions would a data analyst make? Select all that apply. What kind of data is needed How the data will be analyzed How the data will be managed Who will be responsible for the data
What kind of data is needed How the data will be managed Who will be responsible for the data
A data analyst has entered the analyze step of the data analysis process. Identify the questions they might ask during this phase. Select all that apply. What is the question I'm trying to answer? What story is my data telling me? How will my data help me solve this problem? How can I create an engaging presentation to stakeholders?
What story is my data telling me? How will my data help me solve this problem?
In data analytics, which term describes a collection of elements that interact with one another to produce, manage, store, organize, analyze, and share data? a modeling system a database a data ecosystem a cloud environment
a data ecosystem
A set of instructions that performs a specific calculation using data is called ____.
a formula
A function is s preset command, whereas a formula is ______. a predefined statement a set of instructions used to perform a specified calculation a computer programming language a particular value
a set of instructions used to perform a specified calculation
In the ____ phase of the data analysis process, a data analytics team might validate the insights provided by analysts. process analyze share act
act
Curiosity, understanding context, and having a technical mindset are all examples of _____ used in data-driven decision-making. thought processes business strategies data models analytical skills
analytical skills
Using a formula to perform calculations, creating a report from their data, and using spreadsheets to aggregate data would all be actions carried out in the _____ phase of the data life cycle. plan manage capture analyze
analyze
Data-inspired decision-making explores different data sources to find _____. problems outliers predictions commonalities
commonalities
Seeking out new challenges and experiences in order to learn is an example of which analytical skill? data strategy curiosity understanding context having a technical mindset
curiosity
Using data to create new ways of understanding and modeling the unknown is known as _______. data engineering data analysis data design data science
data science
In data analysis, which analytical skill involves the management of people, processes, and tools? data design data control data strategy data anlaytics
data strategy
What is the term for the graphical representation of data? data summary data language data collection data visualization
data visualization
A query language is a computer programming language that enables data analysts to retrieve and manipulate data from a _____. spreadsheet folder drive database
database
Fill in the blank: A data analyst uses a SQL query to retrieve information from a database. They add a WHERE statement to _____ the data based on certain conditions. sort categorize copy filter
filter
A set of instructions used to perform a specified calculation is known as a ____. predefined statement formula function particular value
formula
You are planning a road trip. Your first step is to break down the planning into smaller pieces. You begin by calculating your budget. Then, you choose a destination and departure date. Next, you plan where to stay, what vehicle to take, and how long you want to be on the road. Which analytical skill does this scenario describe? data design curiosity having a technical mindset understanding context
having a technical mindset
In data analytics, the data ecosystem refers to the various elements that interact with one another to produce, manage, store, ______, analyze, and share data. organize merge locate ingest
organize
To apply structured thinking, a data analyst should ____ the available information in order to reveal gaps and opportunities and recognize the current problem or situation. record organize communicate share
organize
Data analysis has six parts that are divided into distinct ______. key questions data analytics tools stages process steps
process steps
To request, retrieve, and update information in a database, data analysts use a ____.
query
Which of the following is an example of why a data analyst may generate a query? visualizing data requesting data collecting data recording data
requesting data
A query is used to _______ information from a database. Select all that apply. visualize retrieve update request
retrieve update request
The data life cycle has six ______. data analytics tools key questions process steps stages
stages
The people very familiar with a business problem are called _____. They are an important part of data-driven decision-making. stakeholders competitors customers subject-matter experts
subject-matter experts
Pivot tables in data processing tools are used to _____ data. populate summarize clean validate
summarize
SQL allows data analysts to retrieve and request data from a database. What else is SQL used for? visualizing data within a database the sharing phase of the data life cycle the revising phase of the data life cycle updating databases
updating databases
Management asked an analyst to provide fourth-quarter sales revenue for the previous year, focusing on two designers to determine which designer produced more sales and in which month. The analyst has all the data in a Microsoft Excel workbook. Which type of graph will help the analyst determine who produced more sales? Heat map Bar graph Scatter graph Pie graph
Bar graph
In the data life cycle, which phase involves gathering data from various sources and bringing it into the organization? Capture Manage Analyze Archive
Capture
A data analyst identifies and classifies keywords from customer reviews to improve customer satisfaction. This is an example of which problem type? Finding patterns Making predictions Spotting something unusual Categorizing things
Categorizing things
____ involves assigning items to categories, whereas identifying themes takes those categories a step further, grouping them into broader classifications. Making predictions Finding patterns Discovering connections Categorizing things
Categorizing things
Structured query language (SQL) enables data analysts to ______.
Communicate with a database
