E X P L O R AT O RY

D ATA A N A LY S I S
(EDA)

Kevin Angelo A. Inlong

INTRODUCTION

Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) is a critical phase in

the data analysis process. It involves the initial
examination and visualization of a dataset to gain
insights, identify patterns, and detect anomalies. EDA is
instrumental in making informed decisions about
subsequent data analysis, modeling, and hypothesis
testing.
KEY OBJECTIVES OF EDA
1. Data Understanding: EDA helps in understanding the structure, size,
and content of the dataset, including variables and their relationships.
2. Data Quality Assessment: It identifies missing values, outliers, and
data inconsistencies, which can impact the reliability of subsequent
analyses.
3. Pattern Recognition: EDA provides a foundation for recognizing
trends, associations, and hidden patterns in the data through
visualizations and summary statistics.
4. Hypothesis Generation: During EDA, initial hypotheses about the
data can be formed, guiding further investigations.
COMMON EDA TECHNIQUES
1. Data Visualization: Techniques like histograms, scatter plots, box
plots, and heatmaps are used to graphically represent data, making
patterns and trends more evident.
2. Summary Statistics: Calculating basic statistics (mean, median,
standard deviation, etc.) provides a quantitative understanding of the
data distribution.
3. Data Transformation: EDA may involve data normalization, scaling,
or transformation to improve interpretability and analysis.
4. Data Exploration: Techniques like exploring correlations, group
comparisons, and data segmentation help uncover relationships
within the data.
BENEFITS OF EDA
1. Data Preparation: EDA informs data preprocessing steps such
as missing data imputation and outlier handling.
2. Decision Support: EDA helps in choosing appropriate modeling
techniques and feature selection based on data characteristics.
3. Early Problem Detection: It can reveal data issues that may
require addressing before more advanced analyses are
conducted.
4. Communication: EDA aids in conveying insights to
stakeholders effectively through visualizations and easy-to-
understand summaries.
CONCLUSION
Exploratory Data Analysis is a fundamental step in any
data analysis project. It provides a holistic view of the
data, uncovers important characteristics, and guides
subsequent analysis. Properly executed EDA is key to
making well-informed decisions and extracting valuable
insights from data.