This is an element of a series on Strategic Data Evaluation.
Strategic Data Evaluation (Part 1)
Strategic Data Evaluation for Descriptive Questions (Part 2) ← You might be here
Strategic Data Evaluation for Diagnostic Questions (Part 3) ← Coming soon!
Strategic Data Evaluation for Predictive Questions (Part 4) ← Coming soon!
Strategic Data Evaluation for Prescriptive Questions (Part 5) ← Coming soon!
In Part 1, I discussed the 4 forms of questions that data analysts try and answer and ways to discover each query type. In case you recall, after we ask descriptive questions, we attempt to accumulate an understanding of something. These questions generally start with “what/is/does” and pertain to the present or past tense. Now, let’s dive into detail of the strategy on learn how to answer these questions.
Descriptive questions are likely to come up essentially the most for data analysts and their answers are likely to provide a foundation for follow up questions. Typically, seasoned analysts have already got a method (or at the least some guidelines) that they use as a way to answer descriptive questions. A more specific strategy differs based on the query, industry, personal preferences and knowledge, etc. Nonetheless, the skeleton for any strategy should include the next:
- Assessing the intent of the query
- Identifying the variables in query
- Defining the analytical goal of the query
These steps should guide you in selecting the perfect methodology and providing essentially the most appropriate answer. Let’s take a deeper look.
Step 1: Assess the intent of the query
Before applying any technique to reply the query posited by the decision-maker, we must first understand why the query is being asked. This could significantly influence our strategy and the ultimate approach that we decide. A few of the considerations inside the intent include: