9/13/25, 11:13 AM Data Mining Process - GeeksforGeeks
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Data Mining Process
Last Updated : 14 Aug, 2025
Data mining is the process of extracting useful and previously unknown patterns from
large datasets. It combines methods from artificial intelligence, machine learning,
statistics, and database systems to discover hidden insights that can support better
decision making. Although the term suggests just extracting data, the real focus is on
uncovering valuable knowledge making "knowledge mining" a more accurate name.
The main goal is to transform raw data into meaningful and understandable information
that can be used by organizations to gain insights, improve strategies, and make
informed decisions.
Data Mining and Business Intelligence:
Key properties of Data Mining:
Automatic discovery of patterns
Prediction of likely outcomes
Creation of actionable information
Focus on large datasets and databases
Data Mining: Confluence of Multiple Disciplines
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9/13/25, 11:13 AM Data Mining Process - GeeksforGeeks
Data Mining Process
Data Mining is a process of discovering various models, summaries, and derived values
from a given collection of data.
Workflow of Data Mining Process
Let's discuss each layer of data procesing in detail:
1. State the problem
In this step, the modeler defines key variables and forms initial hypotheses about their
relationships. It requires close collaboration between domain experts and data mining
professionals. This teamwork starts early and continues throughout the entire data
mining process to ensure meaningful results.
2. Collect the data
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9/13/25, 11:13 AM Data Mining Process - GeeksforGeeks
This step focuses on how data is collected. There are two main approaches
Designed Experiment: The modeler controls data generation.
Observational Approach: Data is collected passively without control (most common
in data mining).
It's important to understand how data was collected, as this affects its distribution and
the accuracy of the model. Also, the data used for training and testing must come from
the same distribution-otherwise, the model may not work well in real-world applications.
3. Perform Preprocessing
In the observational setting, data is usually "collected" from prevailing databases, data
warehouses, and data marts. Data preprocessing usually includes a minimum of two
common tasks :
(i) Outlier Detection: Outliers are unusual data values that are not according to most
observations. There are two strategies for handling outliers:
Detect and eventually remove outliers as a neighbourhood of preprocessing phase.
Develop robust modeling methods that are insensitive to outliers.
(ii) Scaling, encoding, and selecting features: Data preprocessing involves steps like
scaling and encoding variables. For example, if one feature ranges from 0–1 and another
from 100–1000, they can unfairly influence results. Scaling adjusts them to the same
range so all features contribute equally. Encoding methods also help reduce data size by
transforming features into a smaller set of meaningful variables for better modeling.
4. Estimate/Build the Model
Apply and test different data mining techniques. It often requires trying multiple models
and comparing results to choose the best fit.
5. Interpret model and draw conclusions
The final model should support decision-making and be interpretable. Simpler models
are easier to explain but may lack accuracy, while complex models need special methods
for interpretation.
Classification of Data Mining Systems :
Database Technology
Statistics
Machine Learning
Information Science
Visualization
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9/13/25, 11:13 AM Data Mining Process - GeeksforGeeks
Major issues in Data Mining
Different Knowledge Needs: Users may require different types of insights, so mining
must support a wide range of tasks.
Use of Background Knowledge: Prior knowledge helps guide discovery and express
patterns at various abstraction levels.
Query Languages for Mining: Data mining query languages should support flexible,
ad-hoc tasks and integrate with data warehouses.
Result Presentation & Visualization: Discovered patterns must be shown in easy-to-
understand formats like charts or summaries.
Handling Noisy/Incomplete Data: Cleaning methods are essential to deal with
missing or incorrect data to maintain accuracy.
Pattern Evaluation: Only patterns that are useful, novel, or non-obvious should be
considered interesting.
Efficiency & Scalability: Algorithms must handle large datasets efficiently without
compromising performance.
Parallel, Distributed, and Incremental Mining: For large or scattered data, mining
should be parallelized or updated incrementally without reprocessing all data.
Alternative names for Data Mining:
Knowledge discovery (mining) in databases (KDD)
Knowledge extraction
Data/pattern analysis
Data archaeology
Data dredging
Information harvesting
Business intelligence
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