Starting with a question

"Always start with a question! Without a question to answer, there can be no meaningful analysis."

It's rare for us to start hunting for data without a question in mind. Even professional data analysts don't usually take a dataset and start looking for patterns without an idea of what they want to know first. This doesn't mean starting with a preconceived idea of what the answer to the question is, just that you have a starting point for inquiry.

A question defines the objective behind the 'wrangling' of the data.

The right question will help you to define:

  • What is the story you have to tell?

  • What is the problem you want to solve?

  • Define the issue you are addressing

  • What is the subject of your exploration?

  • What is the topic of your conversation

Read more on the subject of questions

Once you have framed your initial question, you can use it to inform where you should look for data. A question on inflation in Africa, for example, could take you to The World Bank or Africa Data Hub.

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