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Data Management and Visualization

Whether being used to customize advertising to millions of website visitors or streamline inventory ordering at a small restaurant, data is becoming more integral to success. Too often, we’re not sure how use data to find answers to the questions that will make us more successful in what we do. In this course, you will discover what data is and think about what questions you have that can be answered by the data – even if you’ve never thought about data before. Based on existing data, you will learn to develop a research question, describe the variables and their relationships, calculate basic statistics, and present your results clearly. By the end of the course, you will be able to use powerful data analysis tools – either SAS or Python – to manage and visualize your data, including how to deal with missing data, variable groups, and graphs. Throughout the course, you will share your progress with others to gain valuable feedback, while also learning how your peers use data to answer their own questions.

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Syllabus

Selecting a research question

We would like to welcome you to Wesleyan University's Data Analysis and Interpretation Specialization. In this session, we will discuss the basics of data analysis. Your task will be to select a data set that you would like to work with and to review available code books that help you develop your own research question. You will also set up a Tumblr blog that will allow you to reflect on these experiences, submit assignments and share your work with others throughout the course. First, you may want to check out the welcome video

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Helps learners with data analysis questions they may not have thought of otherwise

Teaches data analysis for real-world use

Develops data analysis skills and knowledge for career success

Covers a range of data analysis methods and tools

Includes hands-on practice and exercises

Taught by data analysis experts

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Reviews summary

Data management and visualization course insights

According to learners, this course provides a solid introduction to data management and visualization, offering the unique flexibility of choosing to learn either SAS or Python. Many students highlight the hands-on assignments, finding them highly practical and valuable for applying concepts directly to their own data and research questions. The modules covering data munging and creating visualizations are frequently praised for their usefulness in handling and presenting real-world data. While the course aims to be accessible to beginners, some reviewers found the pace challenging, particularly in the programming sections, suggesting a desire for more detailed explanations or slower progression.

Covers cleaning and preparing messy data.

"The session on data management/munging was especially useful for tackling real-world datasets that aren't perfectly clean."

"Learned practical techniques for dealing with common data issues like missing values effectively."

"The concepts on data cleaning were presented clearly and directly applicable to my work."

Learn to create effective graphs.

"Learning to visualize data using code was a very practical skill I gained from this course."

"The module on creating graphs helped me understand how to effectively present data findings."

"Covered the basics of data visualization well, showing how to create standard plots."

Hands-on tasks aid learning application.

"The assignments were the strongest part; applying concepts to my chosen dataset made everything click."

"Working on my own research question throughout the course was incredibly motivating and practical."

"Found the assignments relevant and they really reinforced the data management skills taught."

Good introduction for newcomers to data.

"As someone completely new to data analysis, I found the early modules and concepts very understandable and easy to follow."

"The course truly starts from scratch, which is exactly what I needed with no prior programming knowledge."

"While the start is great, it felt a bit fast-paced for me as a complete beginner once we introduced programming."

Offers choice between two major data tools.

"I appreciated having the option to learn either SAS or Python, catering to different needs and career paths."

"Choosing between SAS and Python was great for flexibility, but sometimes I felt the course material was slightly less cohesive because of it."

"Successfully got me started with Python programming for basic data handling tasks."

Some found the pace challenging or depth lacking.

"Felt like the course moved quite quickly, especially once we got into writing more complex code."

"I think more time or depth could have been spent on advanced data manipulation techniques."

"While a good intro, it only scratches the surface on visualization tools and options available."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Data Management and Visualization with these activities:

Review statistics concepts

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Ensure a strong foundation for the course by reviewing key statistical concepts.

Browse courses on Statistics

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Identify areas of statistics that need reinforcement
Review notes, textbooks, or online resources
Complete practice problems

Read "Data Science for Business"

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Enhance your understanding of the fundamentals of data science by reading a foundational book on the subject.

View Data Science for Business: What You Need to... on Amazon

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Purchase or borrow a copy of the book
Read the book and take notes
Complete the exercises and assignments in the book

Attend a data analysis workshop

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Gain practical experience and insights by attending a workshop focused on data analysis techniques or tools.

Browse courses on Data Analysis

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Identify a workshop that aligns with your interests and learning goals
Register for the workshop
Attend the workshop and actively participate

Five other activities

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Join a study group with other students

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Enhance your learning by engaging in discussions, sharing insights, and working together on data analysis projects with other students.

Browse courses on Data Analysis

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Find a study group or create your own
Meet regularly to discuss course material, work on assignments, and prepare for exams
Take turns presenting your findings and leading discussions

Practice writing SAS or Python code

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Complete plenty of practice drills to strengthen your grasp of SAS or Python syntax and data analysis techniques.

Browse courses on SAS

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Choose a data set that you're interested in and load it into SAS or Python
Write code to generate summary statistics for the data
Plot the data in a variety of ways to explore the relationships between the variables
Practice manipulating the data using SAS or Python functions

Explore SAS or Python online tutorials

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Extend your knowledge by exploring online tutorials that provide step-by-step instructions for specific data analysis tasks.

Browse courses on SAS

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Identify an aspect of data analysis that you'd like to learn more about
Search for an online tutorial that covers the topic
Follow the tutorial instructions and complete the exercises

Develop a data analysis project

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Deepen your understanding of data analysis by undertaking a project that involves collecting, cleaning, analyzing, and visualizing data.

Browse courses on Data Analysis

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Identify a question or problem that you want to solve using data
Collect data from relevant sources
Clean and prepare the data for analysis
Analyze the data using SAS or Python techniques
Visualize the results in a clear and informative way
Write a report or presentation to communicate your findings

Create a data visualization dashboard

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Strengthen your data visualization skills by creating a dashboard that presents key insights from a data set.

Browse courses on Data Visualization

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Identify the data set you want to use
Choose a data visualization tool
Design and create the dashboard
Share your dashboard with others

Career center

Learners who complete Data Management and Visualization will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Data Analyst

Data Analysts work on the frontlines of business, using data to find and solve problems that improve their organizations. This course, Data Management and Visualization, will help you build a foundation in data analysis. You will learn how to manage and visualize data, two essential skills for any Data Analyst. This course may also be helpful for professionals who want to pivot into a career in data analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Data Scientist

Data Scientists use their skills in mathematics, statistics, and computer science to extract knowledge and insights from data. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Data Scientist. This course may also be helpful for professionals who want to pivot into a career in data science.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Market Researcher

Market Researchers use data to understand consumer behavior and trends. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Market Researcher. This course may also be helpful for professionals who want to pivot into a career in market research.

See salaries and explore the career path for Market Researcher

Business Analyst

Business Analysts use data to help businesses make better decisions. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Business Analyst. This course may also be helpful for professionals who want to pivot into a career in business analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Financial Analyst

Financial Analysts use data to make investment recommendations. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Financial Analyst. This course may also be helpful for professionals who want to pivot into a career in financial analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Operations Research Analyst

Operations Research Analysts use data to improve the efficiency of business operations. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Operations Research Analyst. This course may also be helpful for professionals who want to pivot into a career in operations research.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Research Analyst

Statistician

Statisticians use data to analyze trends and make predictions. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Statistician. This course may also be helpful for professionals who want to pivot into a career in statistics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Statistician

Data Engineer

Data Engineers build and maintain the infrastructure that stores and processes data. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Data Engineer. This course may also be helpful for professionals who want to pivot into a career in data engineering.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Engineer

Database Administrator

Database Administrators manage and maintain databases. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Database Administrator. This course may also be helpful for professionals who want to pivot into a career in database administration.

See salaries and explore the career path for Database Administrator

Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software applications. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Software Engineer. This course may also be helpful for professionals who want to pivot into a career in software engineering.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Computer Scientist

Computer Scientists research and develop new computing technologies. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Computer Scientist. This course may also be helpful for professionals who want to pivot into a career in computer science.

See salaries and explore the career path for Computer Scientist

Information Systems Manager

Information Systems Managers plan and implement information systems for organizations. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Information Systems Manager. This course may also be helpful for professionals who want to pivot into a career in information systems management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Systems Manager

Chief Data Officer

Chief Data Officers are responsible for overseeing the use of data within an organization. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Chief Data Officer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Chief Data Officer

Data Governance Specialist

Data Governance Specialists develop and implement policies and procedures for managing data within an organization. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Data Governance Specialist.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Governance Specialist

Privacy Analyst

Privacy Analysts develop and implement policies and procedures for protecting the privacy of data. This course, Data Management and Visualization, can help you build a foundation in data management and visualization. These are both essential skills for any Privacy Analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Privacy Analyst

Reading list

We've selected 28 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Data Management and Visualization.

The Elements of Statistical Learning

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More advanced treatment of statistical learning. It covers topics such as regularization, boosting, and bagging.

The Elements of Statistical Learning: Data Mining,...

Hardcover

$$$

The Elements of Statistical Learning: Data Mining,...

Hardcover

$$$

The Elements of Statistical Learning: Data Mining,...

Kindle Edition

$$$

Reinforcement Learning, second edition

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Comprehensive overview of reinforcement learning. It covers topics such as Markov decision processes, dynamic programming, and deep reinforcement learning.

Reinforcement Learning, second edition: An...

Hardcover

$$$

Reinforcement Learning, second edition: An...

Kindle Edition

$$$