📊 Types of Data
Data comes in many forms. Knowing the type of data helps analysts choose the right tools and methods. Common types include:
- Structured Data: Organized in rows/columns (e.g., sales transactions, financial records).
- Semi-Structured Data: Not strictly tabular but has some organization (e.g., JSON logs, XML files).
- Unstructured Data: Raw, unorganized information (e.g., emails, videos, images, social media posts).
- Qualitative Data: Descriptive and non-numeric (e.g., customer reviews, survey feedback).
- Quantitative Data: Numeric and measurable (e.g., revenue, age, order quantity).
Example:
An e-commerce platform collects structured data (orders in databases), unstructured data (customer reviews), and semi-structured data (clickstream logs).