Prelude to Data Analytics

Ville Voutilainen*

* Views expressed are those of the presenter.

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In this presentation

• My definition of Data Analytics and related terms.
• Diving into a few special cases: Predictive Modelling and Data Visualization.

Some good references

• Carmichael and Marron (2018): Data science vs. statistics: two cultures?
• Donoho (2017): 50 years of Data Science

"A data scientist is a statistician who lives in San Francisco" pic.twitter.com/NAftOI9jmJ via @smc90

— Chris Dixon (@cdixon) January 30, 2014

Definition of Data Science

“To a general audience, data science is often defined as the intersection of three areas: maths/statistics, computation and a particular domain.”

Carmichael and Marron (2018)

We define it as combination of six areas of Greater Data Science (GDS).

6 areas of Greater Data Science

1. Data gathering, preparation, and exploration.
2. Data representation and transformation.
3. Computing with data.
4. Data modelling.
5. Data visualization and presentation.
6. Science about data science.

Definition of Data Analytics

“Analytics is the discovery, interpretation, and communication of meaningful patterns in data and applying those patterns towards effective decision making. In other words, analytics can be understood as the connective tissue between data and effective decision making, within an organization.”

Wikipedia

Data Analytics Road Map

My favorite toolkit

Let's focus on two subfields

1. Predictive modelling
2. Data visualization

...so thet we don't end up like this

This Harvard Business Review chart seems to have been made by someone who didn't know what most of the terms meant: https://t.co/QA3jv0tBWN pic.twitter.com/a6MZyeFfpO

— Stuart Buck (@StuartBuck1) October 22, 2018

Visual introduction to predictive modelling

If one insists on throwing "machine learning" in there...

I've started mentally replacing "AI", "Neural Network", and other buzz terms with "Predictive model". It removes a false sense of agency, better reflects reality, and instantly brings the hype factor down by 300%.

— Jesse Engel (@jesseengel) October 12, 2018

Data visualization

“We should think of data visualization not only as a way to present findings but also as a tool that helps us think.”

- Anonymous

Summary

• Data Analytics: Detection of patterns and making better decisions based on it.
• Subset of umbrella term "Data Science".
• In many industry cases
  "Machine Learning" = "Predictive Modelling".
• Data Visualization is an instrument that helps us think and formulate hypotheses.

Thank you!

vvoutilainen.github.io