What are the key steps involved in exploratory data analysis?

Mandeep025

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Mar 15, 2024
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Exploratory Data Analysis is an important step in data science. It allows analysts to better understand patterns, relationships and anomalies that exist within a dataset, before they apply complex models. EDA allows analysts to make informed decisions regarding data preprocessing and feature selection. This process includes several steps that each contribute to a thorough understanding of the data. Data Science Classes in Pune

Data collection and analysis is the first step of EDA. The first step in EDA is to collect and understand data from reliable sources. Analysts need to determine whether the data are categorical or numeric, and look for any missing values, errors, or duplicate records. To ensure meaningful analysis, it is important to understand the context of data, such as its origin and intended usage.

After understanding the data structure, the next step involves data cleaning and preprocessing. Datasets from the real world often contain missing values or incorrect values, which can cause analysis to be distorted. The handling of missing data is done by using imputation or removing incomplete records depending on the dataset. Outliers are extreme values which deviate from the norm. They must be identified to assess their impact on analysis. Standardizing or standardizing numerical variables will help achieve uniformity in the dataset and make comparisons more accurate.

Analysts then perform univariate analyses, which focus on the analysis of individual variables. In this step, summary statistics are calculated for numerical variables such as mean and median, mode and variance, while proportions and frequency distributions describe categorical data. Visualizations such as histograms and box plots can help you understand the distribution of data. They also make it easier to spot patterns, skewness or anomalies. Data Science Course in Pune

The next step is to examine the relationships between variables using bivariate and multivariate analyses. Scatter plots and correlation analysis help determine whether two numerical variables have a relationship. Heatmaps and cross-tabulations help to understand the relationship between numerical and categorical variables. It is important to identify patterns and associations in order to select features for machine learning models. This reduces redundancy and increases model efficiency.

The data exploration process ends with the extraction of meaningful insights and preparation for modeling. EDA can refine hypotheses and eliminate irrelevant features. It also identifies potential transformations that are required to improve predictive performance. Analysts can use statistical techniques and visualizations to ensure the dataset is prepared for machine learning and statistical modeling. This will lead to more reliable results.
 

ruhiparveen

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Nov 4, 2024
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Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) involves several key steps: understanding the dataset by loading and summarizing it, checking for missing or inconsistent data, and cleaning it as needed. Next, analyze data distributions, central tendencies, and variability using descriptive statistics. Visualize data with plots like histograms, box plots, scatter plots, and correlation matrices to identify patterns, trends, or outliers. Explore relationships between variables and detect anomalies or insights that may influence modeling. Finally, document findings and form hypotheses for further analysis. EDA provides a foundational understanding of the data, guiding feature selection, transformation, and modeling strategies.
 

shivanshi770

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Nov 14, 2024
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Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) is the first step in understanding your data. It includes reviewing the dataset, cleaning missing values, and checking for duplicates. You then look at each variable using basic stats and visualizations like histograms or box plots. Relationships between variables are explored through scatter plots or correlation heatmaps. This helps spot trends, patterns, or outliers early on.


Feature engineering and data visualization are also key parts of EDA. They help prepare data for modeling and make insights clearer. For beginners, learning these steps with real projects is useful. Many programs that offer data science training in Delhi include hands-on EDA practice, making complex concepts easier to understand.
 

shayankarim

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May 6, 2025
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Great overview of the EDA process! I especially appreciate how you highlighted the importance of understanding the data context before diving into analysis — that’s often overlooked but crucial for meaningful insights.

In my experience, complementing statistical summaries with interactive visualizations (like using tools such as Plotly or Tableau) can really enhance pattern discovery and outlier detection. Also, automating parts of EDA with Python libraries like Pandas Profiling or Sweetviz speeds up the workflow significantly without sacrificing depth.


Would love to hear others’ favorite tools or techniques for making exploratory data analysis both efficient and thorough!