Southern Illinois University Initial Data Analysis Project

Overview

Communicating complex data information and insights using data visualizations via creating dashboards, scorecards, spatial data representations and use of annotations is an important aspect of data science. In various roles you must be able to evaluate, propose and implement appropriate visualizations for a specified audience using key informational design concepts. In this assignment you will, do an initial analysis of the data to get familiar with the dataset and the audience needs including identifying business questions.

Assignment Summary

As part of the project you must do an initial analysis of the data set to get familiarize with the data and the needs of the dashboard audience. Once you understand the data it’s much easier to ask appropriate questions of the data and design a dashboard knowing the key variables.

Review the data set and start looking for valuable information to determine key drivers of the analysis. Analyze the columns, information and seek correlations that complete a basic analysis. In your analysis, answer the following questions.

• What do you see as variables in this data?
• What correlations, patterns and trends do you see?
• Who will be the audience of the dashboards? What questions would they ask about the data?
• How could a dashboard be used to show data clearly?
• What types of graphs and charts can be used to clearly explain the data?

This analysis will help you ask the right questions for the analysis in the deliverables to follow.

In Module 3, submit a 1-2 page paper that presents the findings of your initial analysis and identifies the business questions that will be answered by the final project. Be sure to answer the above questions and provide visuals including graphs, charts and outputs that demonstrate your findings.