What is Data Science?
data + science = insight
Data science is a term used to describe the process of acquiring, analysing, and making predictions from large amounts of data.
Data can be collected from various sources including people, machines, the environment, and outer space — all depending on the project. The methods used for collecting data can range from questionnaires filled in by people, to information gathered from the sensors of Internet-connected devices (i.e.: IoT). Collecting and working with large data sets is referred to as “big data”.
Once data is collected, it is organised and analysed using statistical methods to make sense of the information. This might involve establishing the means, medians, and modes with descriptive statistics, or recognising patterns and trends within the data though inferential statistics. This information can then be used to better understand the sample and establish relationships to make predictions.
Following that, the information is often compiled and tailored for presentation to a particular audience. Data visualisation is a common method for presenting the data so that it is more relatable than mere numbers on a page or screen. Therefore, graphs, tables, charts, or moving images are often used to make the data more appealing and interesting.
