Google Data Analytics

Analytical Skills

Qualities and characteristics associated with using facts to solve problems

Analytical thinking

The process of identifying and defining a problem, then solving it by using data in an organized, step-by-step manner

Context

The condition in which something exists or happens

Data

A collection of facts

Data analysis

The collection, transformation, and organization of data in order to draw conclusions, make predictions, and drive informed decision-making

Data analyst

Someone who collects, transforms, and organizes data in order to draw conclusions, make predictions, and drive informed decision-making

Data analytics

The science of data

Data design

How information is organized

Data-driven decision-making

Using facts to guide business strategy

Data ecosystem

The various elements that interact with one another in order to produce, manage, store, organize, analyze, and share data

Data science

A field of study that uses raw data to create new ways of modeling and understanding the unknown 

Data strategy

The management of the people, processes, and tools used in data analysis

Data visualization

The graphical representation of data

Dataset

A collection of data that can be manipulated or analyzed as one unit 

Gap analysis

A method for examining and evaluating the current state of a process in order to identify opportunities for improvement in the future

Root cause

The reason why a problem occurs

Technical mindset

The ability to break things down into smaller steps or pieces and work with them in an orderly and logical way

Database

A collection of data stored in a computer system

Formula

A set of instructions used to perform a calculation using the data in a spreadsheet

Function

A preset command that automatically performs a specified process or task using the data in a spreadsheet

Query

A request for data or information from a database

Query language

A computer programming language used to communicate with a database

Stakeholders

People who invest time and resources into a project and are interested in its outcome

Structured Query Language

A computer programming language used to communicate with a database

Spreadsheet

A digital worksheet

Attribute

A characteristic or quality of data used to label a column in a table

Observation

The attributes that describe a piece of data contained in a row of a table

Business Task

The question or problem data analysis resolves for a business

Fairness

A quality of data analysis that does not create or reinforce bias

Oversampling

The process of increasing the sample size of nondominant groups in a population. This can help you better represent them and address imbalanced datasets  

Self-reporting

A data collection technique where participants provide information about themselves

Action-oriented question

A question whose answers lead to change 

Cloud

A place to keep data online, rather than a computer hard drive

Data analysis process

The six phases of ask, prepare, process, analyze, share, and act whose purpose is to gain insights that drive informed decision-making

Data life cycle

The sequence of stages that data experiences, which include plan, capture, manage, analyze, archive, and destroy

Leading question

A question that steers people toward a certain response 

Measurable question

A question whose answers can be quantified and assessed

Problem types

The various problems that data analysts encounter, including categorizing things, discovering connections, finding patterns, identifying themes, making predictions, and spotting something unusual

Relevant question

A question that has significance to the problem to be solved

SMART methodology

A tool for determining a question’s effectiveness based on whether it is specific, measurable, action-oriented, relevant, and time-bound 

Specific question

A question that is simple, significant, and focused on a single topic or a few closely related ideas

Structured thinking

the process of recognizing the current problem or situation, organizing available information, revealing gaps and opportunities, and identifying options 

Time-bound question

A question that specifies a timeframe to be studied 

Unfair question

A question that makes assumptions or is difficult to answer honestly

Algorithm

A process or set of rules followed for a specific task

Big data

Large, complex datasets typically involving long periods of time, which enable data analysts to address far-reaching business problems 

Dashboard

A tool that monitors live, incoming data

Data-inspired decision-making

The process of exploring different data sources to find out what they have in common

Metric

A single, quantifiable type of data that is used for measurement 

Metric goal

A measurable goal set by a company and evaluated using metrics

Pivot chart

A chart created from the fields in a pivot table 

Pivot table

data summarization tool used to sort, reorganize, group, count, total, or average data

Problem types

the various problems that data analysts encounter, including categorizing things, discovering connections, finding patterns, identifying themes, making predictions, and spotting something unusual

Qualitative data

A subjective and explanatory measure of a quality or characteristic

Quantitative data

A specific and objective measure, such as a number, quantity, or range

Report

A static collection of data periodically given to stakeholders 

Return on investment (ROI)

A formula that uses the metrics of investment and profit to evaluate the success of an investment

Revenue

The total amount of income generated by the sale of goods or services

Small data

Small, specific data points typically involving a short period of time, which are useful for making day-to-day decisions

AVERAGE

A spreadsheet function that returns an average of the values from a selected range 

Borders

Lines that can be added around two or more cells on a spreadsheet

Cell reference

A cell or a range of cells in a worksheet typically used in formulas and functions

COUNT

A spreadsheet function that counts the number of cells in a range that meet a specific criteria

Equation

A calculation that involves addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division (also called a math expression)

Fill handle

A box in the lower-right-hand corner of a selected spreadsheet cell that can be dragged through neighboring cells in order to continue an instruction

Filtering

The process of showing only the data that meets a specified criteria while hiding the rest

Header

The first row in a spreadsheet that labels the type of data in each column

Math expression

A calculation that involves addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division (also called an equation)

Math function

A function that is used as part of a mathematical formula

MAX

A spreadsheet function that returns the largest numeric value from a range of cells

MIN

A spreadsheet function that returns the smallest numeric value from a range of cells

Open data

Data that is available to the public

Operator

A symbol that names the operation or calculation to be performed

Order of operations

Using parentheses to group together spreadsheet values in order to clarify the order in which operations should be performed

Problem domain

The area of analysis that encompasses every activity affecting or affected by a problem

Range

A collection of two or more cells in a spreadsheet

Report

A static collection of data periodically given to stakeholders 

Return on investment (ROI)

A formula that uses the metrics of investment and profit to evaluate the success of an investment

Revenue

The total amount of income generated by the sale of goods or services 

Scope of work (SOW)

An agreed-upon outline of the tasks to be performed during a project

Sorting

The process of arranging data into a meaningful order to make it easier to understand, analyze, and visualize

SUM

A spreadsheet function that adds the values of a selected range of cells

Cloud

A place to keep data online, rather than a computer hard drive

Reframing

Restating a problem or challenge, then redirecting it toward a potential resolution

Turnover rate The rate at which employees voluntarily leave a company

The rate at which employees voluntarily leave a company

Agenda

A list of scheduled appointments

Audio file

Digitized audio storage usually in an MP3, AAC, or other compressed format

Boolean data

A data type with only two possible values, usually true or false

Continuous data

Data that is measured and can have almost any numeric value

Cookie

A small file stored on a computer that contains information about its users

Data element

A piece of information in a dataset 

Data model

A tool for organizing data elements and how they relate to one another

Digital photo

An electronic or computer-based image usually in BMP or JPG format

Discrete data

Data that is counted and has a limited number of values

External data

Data that lives, and is generated, outside of an organization

Field

A single piece of information from a row or column of a spreadsheet; in a data table, typically a column in the table

First-party data

Data collected by an individual or group using their own resources

Long data

A dataset in which each row is one time point per subject, so each subject has data in multiple rows

Nominal data

A type of qualitative data that is categorized without a set order

Ordinal data

Qualitative data with a set order or scale