In this episode I’ll discuss some keys to remember when examining a dataset for the first time.

Timeline:
02:25 - Do #1 - Look at your data carefully
05:32 - Don’t #1 - Don’t try to bite off too much
07:32 - Do #2 - Look for patterns and trends
10:15 - Do #3 - Consider the data source
13:13 - Do #4 - Identify blind spots in your data
15:22 - Don’t #2 - Don’t include incomplete or missing data

Survey of Data Workers:
https://community.useready.com/whitepapers/idc-infobrief-state-of-data-science-and-analytics/?auto-trigger

The Last Record:

1. Look at the data carefully
   • Do you have all the fields that you will need?
   • Is it a number field?  Is it text?
2. Look for the patterns and trends
3. Consider the source
   • Are there controls in your data?
   • Are you pulling from an outside source that may not always be available or updated?
4. Identify the blind spots in your data
   • Think about the questions you can answer using this data.  
   • Are there any limitations?  If there are, you may need to supplement with additional data.