9 Basic Data Analysis Workflows Free Online FlashCards

What are the main stages of a basic data analysis workflow?

Clarify the question, inspect and prepare the data, analyze it, check and interpret results, then communicate findings and limitations. The process may be iterative.

What makes an analysis question specific enough to guide the work?

Specify the outcome, time period, and groups to compare. For example, ask which product category had the highest total sales revenue this quarter.

What structure makes a spreadsheet table easier to analyze?

Use one header row, one record per row, and one variable per column. Choose clear, unique column names and avoid merged cells or extra header rows.

What does data quality mean in an analysis?

Data quality is whether the data are fit for a particular purpose, not simply whether they have been cleaned. Check completeness, consistency, validity, and duplicates.

How should analysts handle errors and unusual or missing values?

Correct errors only when the correction is justified. Decide how to handle missing or unusual values, document those decisions, and keep an unchanged copy of the original data.

How does a spreadsheet formula differ from a function?

A formula is an expression that calculates a result; a function is a built-in operation used within a formula. For example, a formula can multiply units by unit price to calculate revenue.

How do filtering and sorting differ?

A filter temporarily displays records that meet a condition; sorting changes the order of records. A filter does not prove that the displayed subset is representative.

How can comparing the mean and median reveal unusually large values?

The mean is the sum of the observations divided by their count; the median is the middle value after sorting. Unusually large values can pull the mean upward, so comparing both can reveal this pattern.

What aspects of spread do standard deviation and interquartile range describe?

Standard deviation describes spread around the mean; the interquartile range describes the spread of the middle half of the data.

How would you set up a pivot table for total revenue by category?

A pivot table groups records by fields and calculates summaries. To compare total revenue by category, put Category in rows and Revenue in values, summarized by sum.

Which chart types suit category comparisons, time trends, and numerical distributions?

Use a bar or column chart to compare categories, a line chart to show change over time, and a histogram to examine the distribution of numerical values.

What checks should you make before drawing a conclusion?

Verify key totals against source records, check whether filters or missing values affected them, and investigate surprising values. Confirm that the analysis answers the stated question.