Data
Definition
Data is a collection of facts, statistics, or information that are represented in various forms. It can be numbers, text, images, audio, and video. Data in its raw form (i.e., 'unprocessed data') is called 'raw data'. Read more about Raw Data.
Types of Data
Data can be classified into various types. Here are some of the major types of data:
Quantitative Data
Quantitative data is numerical information that can be measured or counted. It is also known as numerical data. Quantitative data can be further classified into two types: discrete and continuous. Read more about Quantitative Data.
Qualitative Data
Qualitative data is non-numerical information that is collected through methods such as observations, interviews, surveys, or secondary data sources. It can be further classified into two types: nominal and ordinal. Read more about Qualitative Data.
Primary Data
Primary data is original data collected by a researcher for a specific research purpose. It is collected directly from the source. Read more about Primary Data.
Secondary Data
Secondary data is data that has been collected by someone other than the user. Common sources of secondary data include various governmental agencies, or data collected by an organization for its own use. Read more about Secondary Data.
Data Collection Methods
Data can be collected through various methods. Here are some of the most common data collection methods:
Surveys
Surveys are a common method of data collection. They can be conducted in various ways, including online surveys, paper surveys, mobile surveys, and telephone interviews. Read more about Survey Methodology.
Interviews
Interviews are a method of data collection that involves direct questioning of respondents. Interviews can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured. Read more about Interviews.
Observations
Observations are a method of data collection that involves watching and recording the behavior of a subject in its natural environment. Read more about Observational Studies.
Experiments
Experiments are a method of data collection that involves manipulating one variable to determine if changes in one variable cause changes in another variable. Read more about Experiments.
Data Analysis
Data analysis is the process of inspecting, cleaning, transforming, and modeling data to discover useful information, inform conclusions, and support decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a variety of names, and is used in different business, science, and social science domains. Read more about Data Analysis.
Data Management
Data management is the process of ingesting, storing, organizing and maintaining the data created and collected by an organization. Effective data management is a crucial piece of deploying the IT systems that run business applications and provide analytical information to help drive operational decision-making and strategic planning by corporate executives, business managers and other end users. Read more about Data Management.
