Foundations of Data Analytics

Introduction

Every organisation creates data when people buy products, visit a website, use an app, attend a class, or contact customer support. On its own, that data may look like a collection of numbers and records. Data analytics turns those records into evidence that helps people understand what happened, why it happened, and what to do next.

This module introduces the core ideas behind data analytics before you move into spreadsheets, SQL, Python, statistics, and dashboards. You will learn how analysts frame questions, distinguish different kinds of analysis, understand data types, and think carefully about whether a conclusion is supported by the evidence.

What you will learn in this module

• What data analytics is and how it differs from data science and business intelligence
• How descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics answer different questions
• The typical analytics workflow, from a business question to a recommendation
• Common data types, data sources, and basic data quality concerns
• How to turn a vague request into a clear, answerable analytical question