Data Science
Data Science
Data science is a multidisciplinary field that uses statistical and computational methods to extract insights and
knowledge from data. It involves a combination of skills and knowledge from various fields such as statistics,
computer science, mathematics, and domain expertise. Data Science is kinda blended with various tools, algorithms,
and machine learning principles. Most simply, it involves obtaining meaningful information or insights from
structured or unstructured data through a process of analyzing, programming, and business skills. It is a field
containing many elements like mathematics, statistics, computer science, etc. Those who are good at these
respective fields with enough knowledge of the domain in which you are willing to work can call themselves as Data
Scientist. It’s not an easy thing to do but not impossible too. You need to start from data, it’s visualization,
programming, formulation, development, and deployment of your model. In the future, there will be great hype for
data scientist jobs. Taking in that mind, be ready to prepare yourself to fit in this world.
Data science is a field that involves using statistical and computational techniques to extract insights and knowledge
from data. It is a multi-disciplinary field that encompasses aspects of computer science, statistics, and domain-
specific expertise. Data scientists use a variety of tools and methods, such as machine learning, statistical modeling,
and data visualization, to analyze and make predictions from data. They work with both structured and unstructured
data, and use the insights gained to inform decision making and support business operations. Data science is applied
in a wide range of industries, including finance, healthcare, retail, and more. It helps organizations to make data-
driven decisions and gain a competitive advantage.
Data science is not a one-step process such that you will get to learn it in a short time and call ourselves a Data
Scientist. It’s passes from many stages and every element is important. One should always follow the proper steps to
reach the ladder. Every step has its value and it counts in your model. Buckle up in your seats and get ready to learn
about those steps.
1. Problem Statement:
No work start without motivation, Data science is no exception though. It’s really important to declare or formulate
your problem statement very clearly and precisely. Your whole model and it’s working depend on your statement.
Many scientist considers this as the main and much important step of Date Science. So make sure what’s your
problem statement and how well can it add value to business or any other organization.
2. Data Collection:
After defining the problem statement, the next obvious step is to go in search of data that you might require for your
model. You must do good research, find all that you need. Data can be in any form i.e unstructured or structured. It
might be in various forms like videos, spreadsheets, coded forms, etc. You must collect all these kinds of sources.
3. Data Cleaning:
As you have formulated your motive and also you did collect your data, the next step to do is cleaning. Yes, it is! Data
cleaning is the most favorite thing for data scientists to do. Data cleaning is all about the removal of missing,
redundant, unnecessary and duplicate data from your collection. There are various tools to do so with the help of
programming in either R or Python. It’s totally on you to choose one of them. Various scientist have their opinion on
which to choose. When it comes to the statistical part, R is preferred over Python, as it has the privilege of more than
12,000 packages. While python is used as it is fast, easily accessible and we can perform the same things as we can in
R with the help of various packages.
It’s one of the prime things in data science to do and time to get inner Holmes out. It’s about analyzing the structure
of data, finding hidden patterns in them, studying behaviors, visualizing the effects of one variable over others and
then concluding. We can explore the data with the help of various graphs formed with the help of libraries using any
programming language. In R, GGplot is one of the most famous models while Matplotlib in Python.
5. Data Modelling:
Once you are done with your study that you have formed from data visualization, you must start building a
hypothesis model such that it may yield you a good prediction in future. Here, you must choose a good algorithm that
best fit to your model. There different kinds of algorithms from regression to classification, SVM( Support vector
machines), Clustering, etc. Your model can be of a Machine Learning algorithm. You train your model with the train
data and then test it with test data. There are various methods to do so. One of them is the K-fold method where you
split your whole data into two parts, One is Train and the other is test data. On these bases, you train your model.
You followed each and every step and hence build a model that you feel is the best fit. But how can you decide how
well your model is performing? This where optimization comes. You test your data and find how well it is performing
by checking its accuracy. In short, you check the efficiency of the data model and thus try to optimize it for better
accurate prediction. Deployment deals with the launch of your model and let the people outside there to benefit
from that. You can also obtain feedback from organizations and people to know their need and then to work more on
your model.
Improved decision-making: Data science can help organizations make better decisions by providing insights
and predictions based on data analysis.
Cost-effective: With the right tools and techniques, data science can help organizations reduce costs by
identifying areas of inefficiency and optimizing processes.
Innovation: Data science can be used to identify new opportunities for innovation and to develop new
products and services.
Competitive advantage: Organizations that use data science effectively can gain a competitive advantage by
making better decisions, improving efficiency, and identifying new opportunities.
Personalization: Data science can help organizations personalize their products or services to better meet the
needs of individual customers.
Privacy concerns: The collection and use of data can raise privacy concerns, particularly if the data is personal
or sensitive.
Complexity: Data science can be a complex and technical field that requires specialized skills and expertise.
Bias: Data science algorithms can be biased if the data used to train them is biased, which can lead to
inaccurate results.
Interpretation: Interpreting data science results can be challenging, particularly for non-technical
stakeholders who may not understand the underlying assumptions and methods used.
1. Communication Skills:
- Verbal and Written Communication: Being able to explain complex technical details in simple terms to
non-technical stakeholders.
- Storytelling with Data: Crafting narratives that make data insights compelling and actionable.
5. Business Acumen :
- Understanding Business Goals : Aligning data projects with business objectives and understanding the
impact of data insights on the business.
- Domain Knowledge : Having a good grasp of the industry and specific domain you are working in.
7. Ethical Awareness :
- Data Privacy and Security : Being aware of and adhering to ethical guidelines and legal requirements
concerning data use.
- Bias Detection : Identifying and mitigating bias in data and algorithms.
These soft skills complement technical skills and are essential for effective communication, collaboration,
and problem-solving in data science.
3. Optimization Algorithms :
- Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) : An extension of gradient descent that uses random samples to
perform updates, which is faster and suitable for large datasets.
- Genetic Algorithms : Optimization algorithms based on natural selection, useful for solving complex
problems with multiple solutions.
1.Types of Data :
- Structured Data : This is highly organized and easily searchable in databases. Examples include tables in
relational databases, where data is arranged in rows and columns (e.g., spreadsheets).
- Unstructured Data : This data lacks a predefined structure, making it more complex to analyze. Examples
include text, images, videos, and social media posts.
- Semi-Structured Data : This falls between structured and unstructured data. It doesn't fit into traditional
databases but has some organizational properties, such as JSON and XML files.
2.Forms of Data :
- Quantitative Data : Numerical data that can be measured and counted, such as sales numbers, heights,
and temperatures.
- Qualitative Data : Descriptive data that characterizes but doesn't measure, such as opinions, colors, and
labels.
Sources of Data
Data can come from various sources, each providing different types of information:
1.Internal Sources :
- Databases : Company databases storing customer information, sales records, etc.
- Logs : Server and application logs capturing user activities and system events.
2.External Sources :
- Web Data : Data scraped from websites, social media, and other online platforms.
- APIs : Interfaces that allow access to external data services and datasets.
- Public Datasets : Open data provided by governments, research institutions, and organizations.
Data Collection Methods
1. Surveys and Questionnaires : Collecting data directly from individuals through questions.
2. Sensors and IoT Devices : Gathering data from physical environments using sensors.
3. Web Scraping : Extracting data from websites.
4. Transaction Systems: Capturing data from point-of-sale systems, banking transactions, etc.
Data Processing
Once data is collected, it needs to be processed to be useful for analysis. This involves several steps:
1.Data Cleaning :
- Handling Missing Values : Replacing or imputing missing data.
- Removing Duplicates : Ensuring there are no repeated entries.
- Correcting Errors : Fixing incorrect or inconsistent data entries.
2.Data Transformation :
- Normalization : Scaling data to a standard range.
- Encoding : Converting categorical data into numerical form using techniques like one-hot encoding.
- Aggregation : Summarizing data, such as calculating averages or totals.
3.Data Integration :
- Combining Data : Merging data from different sources to create a unified dataset.
Data Analysis
With cleaned and processed data, the next step is analysis:
- Informed Decision-Making : Data provides the evidence needed to make well-informed business decisions.
- Identifying Trends and Patterns: Analyzing data can reveal trends, patterns, and correlations that aren't
immediately obvious.
- Improving Processes : Data insights can lead to the optimization of processes and systems, enhancing
efficiency and effectiveness.
- Personalization : Understanding customer data allows for personalized experiences and targeted
marketing.
Data Types
In data science, understanding different data types is crucial for data analysis, preprocessing, and modeling.
Data types determine what kind of operations you can perform on the data and how you can visualize and
interpret it. Here’s an overview of the main data types used in data science:
1. Numerical Data
Numerical data consists of numbers and can be further divided into two subtypes:
- Discrete Data:
- Consists of distinct, separate values.
- Example: Number of students in a class, number of cars in a parking lot.
- Typically represented by integers.
- Continuous Data :
- Can take any value within a range.
- Example: Height, weight, temperature.
- Typically represented by floating-point numbers.
2. Categorical Data
Categorical data represents distinct categories or groups. It can be further divided into:
- Nominal Data:
- Represents categories without any inherent order.
- Example: Gender (male, female), types of fruits (apple, orange, banana).
- Ordinal Data :
- Represents categories with a meaningful order or ranking.
- Example: Customer satisfaction ratings (poor, fair, good, excellent), educational levels (high
school, bachelor's, master's, PhD).
3. Binary Data
Binary data is a type of categorical data with only two possible values. It's often used to represent yes/no,
true/false, or presence/absence scenarios.
- Example: A light switch (on/off), whether a customer made a purchase (yes/no).
4. Time-Series Data
Time-series data consists of observations collected at specific time intervals. This type of data is crucial for
analyzing trends, patterns, and forecasting.
- Example: Stock prices over time, daily temperature readings, website traffic per hour.
5. Text Data
Text data includes strings of characters and is often used for natural language processing (NLP) tasks. It
requires specialized techniques for analysis and modeling.
- Example: Customer reviews, social media posts, emails.
6. Spatial Data
Spatial data represents information about the physical location and shape of objects. It’s often used in
geographic information systems (GIS) and for mapping and spatial analysis.
- Example: Coordinates of locations (latitude, longitude), shapes of countries or regions.
7. Image Data
Image data consists of pixels that represent visual information. It’s used in computer vision tasks and
requires techniques like convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for analysis.
- Example: Photographs, medical imaging scans, satellite images.
8. Audio Data
Audio data consists of sound waves captured over time. It’s used in tasks such as speech recognition, music
analysis, and sound classification.
- Example: Voice recordings, music files, environmental sounds.
Data Handling
The definition of Data handling is in the title itself, that is, Handling the data in such a way that it becomes
easier for people to understand and comprehend the given information. Hence, The process of collecting,
Recording, and representing data in some form of graph or chart to make it easy for people to understand
is called Data handling.
Pictographs
A pictograph is the pictorial representation of any data given to us in written form. It can be said that
pictographs used to be the earliest form of conversation, since way back in time, people communicated
mostly through pictures with each other since languages were not present.
Indeed, Pictograph plays a role in our day-to-day life too. For instance, when a friend tells us a story, we
start imagining the story in our head and that makes it both easy to understand and easy to remember for a
long time for us.
Drawing a Pictograph
Let’s learn to draw the pictograph with the help of an example,
Example: In a reading competition, three students were participating- Rahul, Saumya, and
Ankush. They were supposed to read as many books as they could in an hour. Rahul read 3
books, Saumya read 2 books and Ankush read 4 books. Draw the pictograph for the
information.
Solution:
There are some basic steps to draw a Pictograph:
Decide the particular picture/pictures that is required to represent data, make sure
that the picture is a little related in order to memorize information easily.
Here, to successfully read a book, a smiley is denoted.
Now, draw the pictures according to information presented, for example, there will be
3 smilies for Rahul as he completed 3 books in an hour.
Bar Graphs
The graphical representation of any quantity, number or data in the form of bars is called a bar graph. With
the help of Bar Graph, not only the data look neat and understanding but also it is easier to compare the
data given.
Mont Janu Febru Mar Ap M Ju Jul Aug Septem Octo Novem Decem
hs ary ary ch ril ay ne y ust ber ber ber ber
No. of
Stude 50 80 65 50 40 90 45 110 80 70 100 20
nts
From the Bar graph we can figure out the answer of the questions
1. August is that month in which maximum birthdays are happening, since the bar above august is the
longest(there are 110 students whose birthday come in August)
2. From the graph, we can tell that January and April have equal lengths of bars, That means they have
the same number of birthdays (both have 50 birthdays)
3. Minimum number of birthdays occur in December since it has the smallest bar.(20 students have
their birthdays in December.
The Horizontal bar graph for the table mentioned in the question,
= 79 percent.
Line Graphs
Line graph or line chart visually shows how different things relate over time by connecting dots with
straight lines. It helps us see patterns or trends in the data, making it easier to understand how variables
change or interact with each other as time goes by.
How to Make a Line Graph?
To make a line graph we need to use the following steps:
Determine Variables: The first and foremost step to creating a line graph is to identify the variables
you want to plot on the X-axis and Y-axis.
Choose Appropriate Scales: Based on your data, determine the appropriate scale.
Plot Points: Plot the individual data points on the graph according to the given data.
Connect Points: After plotting the points, you have to connect those points with a line.
Label Axes: Add labels to the X-axis and Y-axis. You can also include the unit of measurement.
Add Title: After completing the graph you should provide a suitable title.
Example: Kabir eats eggs each day and the data for the same is added in the table below. Draw a line
graph for the given data
Tuesda
Monday Wednesday Thursday
Weekdays y
Eggs Eaten 5 10 15 10
Solution:
Pie Charts
Pie chart is one of the types of charts in which data is represented in a circular shape. In pie chart circle is
further divided into multiple sectors/slices; those sectors show the different parts of the data from the
whole.
Pie charts, also known as circle graphs or pie diagrams, are very useful in representing and interpreting data
Example: In an office no of employees who plays various sports are added in a table below:
Hocke
Cricket Football Badminton Other
Sport y
Number of
34 50 24 10 82
Employees
Solution:
Required pie chart for the given data is,
Scatter Plot
A scatter plot is a type of graphical representation that displays individual data points on a two-dimensional
coordinate system. Each point on the plot represents the values of two variables, allowing us to observe any
patterns, trends, or relationships between them. Typically, one variable is plotted on the horizontal axis (x-
axis), and the other variable is plotted on the vertical axis (y-axis).
Scatter plots are commonly used in data analysis to visually explore the relationship between variables and
to identify any correlations or outliers present in the data.
Line drawn in a scatter plot, that is near to almost all the points in the plot is called the “line of best fit” or
“trend line“. The example for the same is added in the image below:
Data Mining
Data mining is a crucial aspect of data science that involves discovering patterns, correlations,
anomalies, and useful information from large datasets. It leverages a variety of techniques from statistics,
machine learning, and database management to extract knowledge from data. Here's an overview of data
mining in the context of data science:
Key Concepts in Data Mining
1. Data Preparation :
- Data Cleaning: Removing noise and inconsistencies from the data to ensure quality.
- Data Integration : Combining data from different sources into a coherent dataset.
- Data Transformation : Normalizing, aggregating, and encoding data to make it suitable for mining.
2.Data Exploration :
- Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) : Using statistical summaries and visualizations to understand the data's
structure and distribution.
- Descriptive Statistics : Calculating measures such as mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and
correlations.
4.Pattern Evaluation :
- Model Validation: Assessing the performance of models using metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall,
F1-score, and ROC-AUC.
- Cross-Validation : Using techniques like k-fold cross-validation to ensure models generalize well to
unseen data.
- Statistical Significance Testing : Determining the reliability of discovered patterns.
5. Knowledge Representation :
- Visualization : Using charts, graphs, and plots to present patterns and insights.
- Reporting : Summarizing findings in reports or dashboards to communicate results to stakeholders.
2. Finance :
- Fraud Detection : Identifying fraudulent transactions and activities.
- Credit Scoring : Assessing the creditworthiness of loan applicants.
3.Healthcare:
- Disease Prediction : Predicting disease outbreaks and patient outcomes.
- Medical Imaging : Analyzing medical images to detect anomalies and diagnose conditions.
4.Telecommunications :
- Churn Prediction : Identifying customers likely to switch to a competitor.
- Network Optimization : Enhancing the performance and reliability of networks.
5. Retail :
- Inventory Management: Forecasting demand to optimize inventory levels.
-Recommendation Systems : Suggesting products to customers based on their preferences and behavior.
Objective : Identify products that are frequently purchased together to optimize store layout and
promotions.
1. Data Collection : Gather transaction data from point-of-sale systems.
2. Data Preparation: Clean the data to remove errors and format it appropriately.
3. Association Rule Mining : Use the Apriori algorithm to find frequent itemsets and generate association
rules.
- Example Rule: {Bread, Butter} -> {Milk}
- Interpretation: Customers who buy bread and butter often also buy milk.
4.Pattern Evaluation : Measure the strength of the rules using metrics like support, confidence, and lift.
5.Actionable Insights: Use the discovered patterns to reorganize store layout, create combo deals, or
personalize marketing messages.