Practical & Books for Python Programming
(Click on "Practical" word for learning python programming & for books, click on "Books" word)
Syllabus( For practical) (M.Sc. in Statistics)
Direct data collection, Data Collection from web sources, Data cleaning, Data visualizations.
Basic Matrix operations, Various decompositions, Application of matrix algebra in real life problems.
Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization, Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors and Eigen decomposition of a square matrix.
Singular value decomposition and non-negative matrix factorization of any matrix.
Solution of a set of linear equations AX = B where B does not belong to C(A), by the method of least squares.
Graphical representation of data, Problems based on measures of central tendency and dispersion.
Determination of Karl Pearson correlation coefficient and Correlation coefficient for a bivariate frequency distribution.
Application of Statistical inference tools in real-life data.
Handling data sets for basic analytics, training and testing data sets.
Probability computation using software, Selection of probability model for real-life data, Visual representation of law of large numbers and central limit theorems.
Direct Data Collection
Direct data collection refers to the process of gathering information directly from its original source or through firsthand observation. It involves collecting data in a systematic and structured manner to obtain accurate and reliable information. Here are some key points about direct data collection:
Purpose: Direct data collection is conducted to gather specific information for research, analysis, decision-making, or monitoring purposes. It aims to obtain firsthand and objective data directly from the source.
Methods: Various methods can be used for direct data collection, depending on the nature of the research or study. Common methods include surveys, interviews, observations, experiments, and measurements.
Surveys: Surveys involve asking individuals or groups a series of questions to collect data about their opinions, preferences, behaviors, or characteristics. Surveys can be conducted in person, over the phone, through mail, or online.
Interviews: Interviews involve direct interaction between the researcher and the participant(s). Structured interviews have predetermined questions, while semi-structured or unstructured interviews allow for more open-ended responses.
Observations: Observations involve watching and recording behaviors, events, or phenomena in their natural setting. This method is useful for studying social interactions, behaviors, and natural phenomena.
Experiments: Experiments involve manipulating variables and measuring their effects to establish cause-and-effect relationships. Controlled conditions are created to ensure the accuracy and validity of the results.
Data Recording: Direct data collection often involves recording data in a structured format, such as questionnaires, checklists, audio or video recordings, or numerical measurements. This facilitates organization, analysis, and interpretation of the collected data.
Advantages: Direct data collection allows researchers to gather firsthand information, ensuring accuracy and reliability. It also enables researchers to clarify responses, probe deeper into topics, and collect detailed data for analysis.
Limitations: Direct data collection methods can be time-consuming, resource-intensive, and may require skilled researchers. There is also a potential for bias, such as social desirability bias in surveys or observer bias in observations.
Ethical Considerations: Researchers must adhere to ethical guidelines when collecting data directly from individuals or groups. Informed consent, confidentiality, privacy, and protection of participant rights are important considerations.
Direct data collection plays a crucial role in generating primary data that can be analyzed and used to gain insights, make informed decisions, or contribute to scientific knowledge. Researchers employ various methods and techniques to ensure the collection of accurate and relevant information directly from the source.
Data Collection from web sources
Data collection from web sources, also known as web scraping or web data extraction, involves gathering information from websites and online platforms. Here are some key points about data collection from web sources:
Purpose: Data collection from web sources is conducted to gather specific information available online for research, analysis, monitoring, market intelligence, or other purposes. It enables access to a vast amount of publicly available data on the internet.
Methods: Web scraping can be performed using automated software tools or custom scripts that extract data from web pages. These tools navigate through websites, retrieve data from HTML or APIs, and store it in a structured format for further analysis.
Web Scraping Techniques: Web scraping techniques can vary depending on the website's structure and the desired data. It may involve parsing HTML/XML documents, interacting with web forms, using APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), or utilizing browser automation tools.
Legal and Ethical Considerations: When collecting data from web sources, it is important to consider the legality and ethics of web scraping. Some websites explicitly prohibit scraping in their terms of service, while others may have restrictions on the frequency and volume of data collection. It is crucial to respect website owners' guidelines and comply with applicable laws and regulations.
Data Extraction Challenges: Web scraping can present challenges due to website changes, anti-scraping measures, dynamic content, CAPTCHAs, or IP blocking. Adapting scraping techniques to handle these challenges requires technical expertise and ongoing maintenance.
Structuring and Cleaning Data: After collecting data from web sources, it often needs to be structured and cleaned for analysis. This may involve removing irrelevant information, handling missing data, standardizing formats, and transforming unstructured data into a structured format.
Data Quality and Reliability: The quality and reliability of data collected from web sources can vary. Factors such as the credibility of the source, the accuracy of the data presented on the website, and potential biases should be taken into account when analyzing and interpreting the collected data.
Automation and Scalability: Web scraping allows for automated and scalable data collection, as it can process large volumes of data from multiple sources in a relatively short time. This enables researchers and organizations to gather extensive datasets efficiently.
Ethical Use of Web Data: While web data is publicly available, it is essential to use it ethically and responsibly. Respecting privacy, complying with data protection regulations, and considering the potential impact of data usage on individuals or organizations is crucial.
Technical Skills: Web scraping requires technical skills in programming, data extraction techniques, and knowledge of web technologies. Proficiency in programming languages like Python, knowledge of HTML, CSS, XPath, and familiarity with web scraping libraries and frameworks are valuable for effective data collection.
Data collection from web sources provides access to a wealth of information available on the internet. By employing appropriate web scraping techniques and adhering to legal and ethical guidelines, researchers and organizations can leverage web data for various purposes, gaining insights, and making informed decisions.
Some Links for Collection of Data sets:
Data Cleaning
Data cleaning, also known as data cleansing or data scrubbing, refers to the process of identifying and correcting or removing errors, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies in a dataset. It is an essential step in data preprocessing and analysis to ensure the quality and reliability of the data. Here are some key points about data cleaning:
Data Quality Issues: Data collected from various sources or generated through different processes can contain errors and inconsistencies. Common data quality issues include missing values, outliers, duplicate records, incorrect formatting, inconsistent spellings or abbreviations, and inconsistent or conflicting data.
Data Cleaning Process: The data cleaning process typically involves several steps, including:
a. Data Inspection: Understanding the structure, variables, and patterns in the dataset to identify potential data quality issues.
b. Handling Missing Values: Addressing missing data by imputation (replacing missing values with estimated values) or deletion (removing records or variables with missing values).
c. Removing Duplicates: Identifying and removing duplicate records that may skew analysis or introduce bias.
d. Correcting Inconsistent Values: Standardizing and correcting inconsistent data entries, such as resolving inconsistencies in formatting, spellings, or abbreviations.
e. Handling Outliers: Identifying and addressing outliers, which are extreme values that deviate significantly from the overall pattern of the data.
f. Resolving Inconsistent or Conflicting Data: Handling data discrepancies or conflicts arising from merging datasets or data integration processes.
Tools and Techniques: Data cleaning can be performed using various tools and techniques, depending on the complexity of the dataset and the specific data quality issues. This may involve using spreadsheet software, programming languages (e.g., Python, R), or dedicated data cleaning libraries and frameworks.
Data Cleaning Strategies: Different strategies can be employed based on the specific data cleaning requirements. These strategies may include manual inspection and correction, automated algorithms and rules, statistical techniques, or machine learning approaches for pattern recognition and imputation.
Iterative Process: Data cleaning is often an iterative process, where initial cleaning steps may reveal further issues that require subsequent iterations of inspection, correction, and validation.
Documentation: It is crucial to document the data cleaning steps taken, the decisions made, and any transformations applied. This documentation aids in reproducibility, transparency, and maintaining the integrity of the data analysis process.
Impact on Analysis: Proper data cleaning improves the reliability and validity of data analysis results. It helps ensure that the insights and conclusions drawn from the data are accurate and representative.
Automation: Data cleaning can be automated to some extent, especially for repetitive tasks or large datasets. However, human involvement and judgment are often necessary to address complex or context-dependent data quality issues effectively.
Data cleaning is a vital step in the data preparation process before analysis or modeling. It helps improve data integrity, enhances the accuracy of results, and ensures that the data is fit for the intended purpose.
Link: How to data cleaning using Python?
Data visualizations
Data visualization refers to the graphical representation of data to visually communicate patterns, trends, and insights contained within the data. It involves using visual elements such as charts, graphs, maps, and infographics to present data in a clear, concise, and intuitive manner. Here are some key points about data visualizations:
Purpose: Data visualizations serve the purpose of effectively conveying complex data in a visual format that is easier to understand and interpret. They help to uncover patterns, relationships, and trends that may be difficult to discern from raw data alone.
Types of Visualizations: There are various types of data visualizations that can be used depending on the nature of the data and the message to be conveyed. Some common types include:
Bar Charts: Used to compare categories or values using rectangular bars.
Line Charts: Show the trend or relationship between data points over time or other continuous variables.
Pie Charts: Display the proportion or percentage distribution of different categories.
Scatter Plots: Show the relationship between two numerical variables with data points plotted on a graph.
Heatmaps: Visualize data using color intensity to represent values in a grid-like format.
Maps: Represent spatial data or geographic information using visual maps.
Infographics: Combine text, icons, and visual elements to present data and information in a visually appealing and informative way.
Design Principles: Effective data visualizations adhere to design principles that enhance clarity and comprehension. Key principles include simplicity, clarity, consistency, proper labeling, appropriate use of color and contrast, and maintaining data integrity.
Interactivity: Interactive data visualizations allow users to explore the data and gain deeper insights. This can include features such as zooming, filtering, sorting, or hovering over elements to display additional information.
Tools and Software: There are numerous tools and software available to create data visualizations, ranging from spreadsheet software with built-in charting capabilities (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets) to specialized data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, D3.js) that offer more advanced features and customization options.
Storytelling and Communication: Data visualizations can be used to tell a story or convey a specific message. By carefully selecting and arranging visual elements, data visualizations can effectively communicate insights, trends, and patterns to different audiences.
Exploratory and Explanatory Analysis: Data visualizations can serve both exploratory and explanatory purposes. Exploratory visualizations help analysts and researchers explore the data, identify patterns, and generate hypotheses. Explanatory visualizations are created to present findings, insights, or recommendations to a broader audience.
Ethical Considerations: Data visualizations should be created and presented ethically. This includes accurately representing the data without distorting or misleading information, clearly labeling axes, providing appropriate context, and avoiding biased or misleading visual representations.
Data visualizations play a crucial role in understanding data, making data-driven decisions, and effectively communicating insights to a wide range of audiences. By presenting data in a visual format, complex information can be simplified, patterns can be highlighted, and insights can be conveyed more effectively.
Links for Data Visualizations: