| Data Format Classification |
Definition |
Examples |
| Primary data |
Collected by a researcher from first-hand sources |
- Data from an interview you conducted |
- Data from a survey returned from 20 participants
- Data from questionnaires you got back from a group of workers |
| Secondary data | Gathered by other people or from other research | - Data you bought from a local data analytics firm’s customer profiles
- Demographic data collected by a university
- Census data gathered by the federal government |
Accessing different data sources
| Data Format Classification |
Definition |
Examples |
| Internal data |
Data that lives inside a company’s own systems |
- Wages of employees across different business units tracked by HR |
- Sales data by store location
- Product inventory levels across distribution centers |
| External data | Data that lives outside of a company or organization | - National average wages for the various positions throughout your organization
- Credit reports for customers of an auto dealership |
| Data Format Classification |
Definition |
Examples |
| Continuous data |
Data that is measured and can have almost any numeric value |
- Height of kids in third grade classes (52.5 inches, 65.7 inches) |
- Runtime markers in a video
- Temperature |
| Discrete data | Data that is counted and has a limited number of values | - Number of people who visit a hospital on a daily basis (10, 20, 200)
- Room’s maximum capacity allowed
- Tickets sold in the current month |
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| Data Format Classification |
Definition |
Examples |
| Qualitative |
Subjective and explanatory measures of qualities and characteristics |
- Exercise activity most enjoyed |
- Favorite brands of most loyal customers
- Fashion preferences of young adults |
| Quantitative | Specific and objective measures of numerical facts | - Percentage of board certified doctors who are women
- Population of elephants in Africa
- Distance from Earth to Mars |
| Data Format Classification |
Definition |
Examples |
| Nominal |
A type of qualitative data that isn’t categorized with a set order |
- First time customer, returning customer, regular customer |
- New job applicant, existing applicant, internal applicant
- New listing, reduced price listing, foreclosure |
| Ordinal | A type of qualitative data with a set order or scale | - Movie ratings (number of stars: 1 star, 2 stars, 3 stars)
- Ranked-choice voting selections (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
- Income level (low income, middle income, high income) |
| Data Format Classification |
Definition |
Examples |
| Structured data |
Data organized in a certain format, like rows and columns |
- Expense reports |
- Tax returns
- Store inventory |
| Unstructured data | Data that isn’t organized in any easily identifiable manner | - Social media posts
- Emails
- Videos |
Unstructured data examples
- Audio files
- Video files
- Emails
- Photos
- Social media
Data model
A model that is used for organizing data elements and how they relate to one another
Data elements
Pieces of information, such as people's names, account numbers, and addresses