Roadmap for Data Analysis
1. Introduction to Data Analysis
Key Topics:
Understanding what Data Analysis is.
Types of Data: Structured, Unstructured, Semi-structured.
Types of Data Analysis: Descriptive, Diagnostic, Predictive, Prescriptive.
Data Analysis Lifecycle: Data collection, cleaning, visualization, and interpretation.
Goal: Develop a foundational understanding of the data analysis process.
2. Statistics and Probability
Topics Covered:
Basic statistics: Mean, Median, Mode, Variance, Standard Deviation.
Probability basics and distributions.
Hypothesis testing.
Correlation vs. causation.
Tools and Use:
Excel: Calculate statistical measures.
Python Libraries: numpy, scipy for statistical analysis.
Resources:
Book: "Think Stats" by Allen B. Downey.
Online: Khan Academy’s Statistics & Probability course.
3. Learning Essential Data Tools
3.1 Microsoft Excel
Uses:
Data cleaning and preprocessing.
Creating Pivot Tables and Charts.
Conducting basic statistical analysis.
Resources:
YouTube tutorials: Excel for Data Analysis.
Book: "Excel for Dummies."
3.2 SQL (Structured Query Language)
Uses:
Querying relational databases.
Joining tables to derive insights.
Aggregating and filtering data efficiently.
Practice Tools:
MySQL Workbench, PostgreSQL, SQLite.
Resources:
Mode Analytics: Learn SQL interactive platform.
Book: "SQL in 10 Minutes, Sams Teach Yourself."
3.3 Python
Libraries for Data Analysis:
Pandas: Data manipulation and analysis.
NumPy: Numerical computations.
Matplotlib/Seaborn: Visualization.
Resources:
Python for Data Analysis by Wes McKinney.
Kaggle’s free Python tutorials.
4. Data Cleaning and Preprocessing
Key Concepts:
Identifying and handling missing data.
Removing duplicates and handling outliers.
Encoding categorical variables.
Data transformation (scaling, normalization).
Tools:
Python: pandas, numpy for handling data.
Excel: Small datasets for cleaning and exploration.
Project Idea:
Clean and preprocess a public dataset (e.g., IMDb movie data).
5. Data Visualization
Key Concepts:
Principles of effective visualization.
Choosing the right chart for the data.
Dashboard creation.
Tools:
Matplotlib/Seaborn: Python visualization libraries.
Tableau/Power BI: For advanced visualizations and dashboards.
Project Idea:
Create an interactive dashboard for sales data using Tableau or Power BI.
6. Advanced Analytics
Key Topics:
Regression analysis (linear, logistic).
Time series forecasting.
Clustering techniques (K-Means, Hierarchical).
Decision trees and basic classification.
Tools:
Python (scikit-learn, statsmodels).
R for deeper statistical analysis (optional).
Project Idea:
Predict housing prices using regression models.
7. Communication and Storytelling
Topics Covered:
Effective data storytelling techniques.
Designing visually appealing presentations.
Writing actionable data insights.
Tools:
PowerPoint or Canva for presentations.
Tableau or Power BI for interactive reports.
Resources:
"Storytelling with Data" by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic.
8. Capstone Projects
Projects to Consolidate Learning:
Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA): Perform EDA on a Kaggle dataset.
Predictive Analysis: Build a model to predict customer churn.
Dashboard Creation: Create a sales dashboard using Power BI.
9. Optional Advanced Specializations
Big Data Tools:
Hadoop and Spark for large-scale data analysis.
Machine Learning:
Basics of supervised and unsupervised learning.
Cloud Platforms:
AWS, GCP, or Azure for data storage and analysis.
Weekly Curriculum Overview
Day Topic Time Required
Monday Learn SQL Basics 2–3 hours
Tuesday Python for Data Analysis 2–3 hours
Wednesday Data Cleaning and Preprocessing 3–4 hours
Thursday Visualization Basics 2–3 hours
Friday Statistics Concepts 2 hours
Saturday Project Work (end-to-end analysis) 3–5 hours
Sunday Revise + Explore Advanced Topics 2 hours
Resources for Learning
Books:
o "Python for Data Analysis" by Wes McKinney.
o "Storytelling with Data" by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic.
Courses:
o Coursera’s "Data Analysis with Python" specialization.
o Khan Academy’s Statistics & Probability course.
Practice Platforms:
o Kaggle for datasets and competitions.
o Mode Analytics for SQL practice.
