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Data Cleaning Techniques: Learn Simple & Effective Ways To Clean Data

Data Cleaning Techniques: Learn Simple & Effective Ways To Clean Data

Q: 1. What is the objective of data cleaning?

The main goal is to improve data quality by removing errors, inconsistencies, and redundancies. Clean data ensures accurate insights and supports reliable decision-making. It lays the foundation for effective data mining and analysis.

Q: 2. Which method is used for data cleaning?

Common methods include removing duplicates, handling missing values, fixing structural errors, and detecting outliers. Techniques like regression, clustering, and binning are also applied for advanced cleaning. The choice of method depends on the dataset and analysis requirements.

Q: 3. What is incomplete data?

Incomplete data refers to datasets with missing, inconsistent, or partial values that prevent full analysis. These gaps can arise from errors in data collection, storage, or entry, leading to compromised insights. Addressing incomplete data through cleaning and imputation is essential for reliable decision-making.

Q: 4. What is the data cleaning and preprocessing process?

Data cleaning involves fixing errors, removing inconsistencies, and filling gaps in the dataset. Preprocessing, on the other hand, extends this by transforming and normalizing data for compatibility with algorithms. Together, they ensure data is accurate, consistent, and ready for analysis.

Q: 5. What are the 5 major steps of data preprocessing?

Data preprocessing involves data cleaning, integration, transformation, reduction, and discretization. These steps prepare raw data for analysis by resolving inconsistencies, combining datasets, scaling data, and structuring it for algorithms. Each step enhances the accuracy and usability of the dataset.

Q: 6. Which tool is used to clean data?

Popular tools include OpenRefine, Trifacta Wrangler, Tableau Prep, and Python libraries like Pandas. These tools automate tasks like deduplication, imputation, and format standardization. The choice depends on dataset complexity and user expertise.

Q: 7. How to handle missing data?

Missing data can be removed, imputed using statistical measures, or handled by adapting algorithms like decision trees. The approach depends on the significance of the missing values and dataset requirements. Advanced methods like regression can provide accurate estimates.

Q: 8. What are the 4 types of missing data?

Here are the four types you should know: Missing Completely at Random (MCAR): Data missing with no underlying pattern, not influenced by any variables in the dataset. Missing at Random (MAR): Missing data depends on observed variables but not the missing ones. Missing Not at Random (MNAR): Data missing due to underlying reasons related to the value itself. Structural Missing Data: Data missing due to design or logical reasons.

Q: 9. How do you define data quality?

Data quality refers to the accuracy, consistency, completeness, validity, and uniformity of data. High-quality data aligns with business rules and supports meaningful analysis. It is essential for reliable decision-making and operational efficiency.

Q: 10. How to maintain data quality?

Regular data audits, automated cleaning workflows, and collaboration with domain experts ensure data quality. Implementing tools for continuous monitoring and standardizing formats also helps. Maintenance is an ongoing process to keep data accurate and reliable.

By Rohit Sharma

Updated on Nov 28, 2024 | 20 min read | 54.3k views

Table of Contents

Do you know how much money organizations lose due to poor-quality data globally? According to a recent Gartner report, the losses are a whopping USD 12.9 million. This happens because of the complexities of managing inconsistent and incomplete datasets. Decisions based on flawed data lead to costly mistakes, missed opportunities, and reduced efficiency.

That's where data cleaning becomes indispensable. Data cleaning techniques ensure that raw, messy data transforms into a reliable foundation for analysis, enabling accurate insights and sound decision-making. This is achieved by addressing inconsistencies, removing duplicates, and filling gaps.

Without data cleaning, even the most advanced algorithms are likely to produce unreliable results. In this article, you'll explore what data cleaning entails, the challenges it addresses, and the data cleaning techniques and tools that can make the process more efficient.

What is Data Cleaning, and Why is it Important?

A few years ago, Forbes carried out a survey that revealed that data scientists spend 80% of their time preparing data, out of which 60% goes into data cleaning. In fact, as per ResearchGate, here's what the day-to-day life of a data scientist looks like.

This emphasizes just how critical data cleaning is for reliable analytics and meaningful insights. Without clean data, even the most sophisticated models can fail to deliver accurate outcomes.

What Are the Key Steps in Data Cleaning?

The data cleaning tools market is growing at a steady CAGR of 16.6%. Currently, at USD 3.09 billion in 2024, it is projected to touch USD 5.8 billion by 2028, according to The Business Research Company.

This growth reinforces the increasing reliance on effective data cleaning techniques across industries. As organizations continue to generate massive volumes of data, the need for tools and methodologies to clean and refine this data has never been greater.

With that in mind, here are the key steps when it comes to data cleaning in data mining.

Step 1 - Assessing Data Quality

Before diving into cleaning, it’s essential to evaluate the quality of your dataset. This step in data cleaning helps identify issues that could compromise the accuracy and reliability of your analysis.

What to Look For?

Missing Values: Nulls, blanks, or incomplete entries that lead to incomplete insights.
Inconsistent Data: Variations in formats, naming conventions, or mismatched data types.
Incorrect Values: Out-of-range entries or logically incorrect data, such as negative ages or dates in the future.
Duplicate Records: Repeated entries, often introduced during data collection or merging multiple datasets.

How to Assess?

By thoroughly assessing data quality, you create a roadmap for addressing the specific issues present in your dataset, ensuring a cleaner, more reliable foundation for data analysis.

Here’s how it’s done.

Data Assessing Method	Description
Use Data Profiling Tools	Tools like OpenRefine or Python libraries help generate summaries and identify inconsistencies.
Use Data Visualization Techniques	Charts like histograms and scatter plots make it easier to spot anomalies and patterns.

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Step 2 - Removing Duplicate and Irrelevant Data

Removing duplicates and irrelevant data is the next crucial step when it comes to data cleaning in data mining. It helps to ensure your dataset is focused and efficient. This reduces processing time and improves the accuracy of insights by eliminating redundant or unrelated information.

Needless to say, duplicates can skew results and waste computational resources. Addressing them ensures every record in your dataset is unique and meaningful. Here’s how you can achieve this.

Sorting and Grouping Records by Unique Identifiers: This helps detect and consolidate repeated entries.
Using Tools: Utilize tools like Python’s Pandas (drop_duplicates function) or Excel’s "Remove Duplicates" feature to automate the deduplication process.

How to Filter Irrelevant Data?

Irrelevant data creates noise, distracting from the focus of your analysis. By defining what’s relevant to your objectives, you can refine the dataset for better insights.

Here are some examples of how to do it through some real-world inspired scenarios.

Irrelevant Data Filtering Scenario	How to Do It?
Analyzing Millennial Purchasing Habits	Remove records of older generations that don’t align with the target demographic.
Studying Urban Customer Behavior	Exclude rural customer data if the analysis is specific to urban regions.
Seasonal Sales Trends Analysis	Focus on records from the desired time period, removing data from unrelated seasons or years.

By removing duplicates and irrelevant entries, your dataset becomes more streamlined, enabling faster processing and more accurate results tailored to your objectives.

Step 3 - Fixing Structural Errors

Structural errors in a dataset often result from inconsistencies in how data is recorded, making it difficult to analyze accurately. Identifying and addressing these errors – listed below – is crucial to maintaining data integrity and reliability.

Inconsistent Naming Conventions: Entries like "N/A" and "Not Applicable" representing the same value but labeled differently.
Typographical Errors: Misspellings in column names or data entries that lead to misalignment during analysis.
Misaligned Headers: Mismatched or misplaced column headers causing confusion in the data structure.

What Are the Solutions?

By systematically identifying these errors and applying targeted solutions – tabulated below – you ensure that your dataset is both consistent and ready for efficient analysis.

Error Type	Solution
Inconsistent Naming Conventions	Use regular expressions or automated tools to identify and replace inconsistent terms (e.g., "N/A" → "Not Available").
Typographical Errors	Apply spell-checking algorithms or cross-reference data with standardized formats.
Misaligned Headers	Review and align column names manually or use tools to standardize headers across datasets.
Case Sensitivity Issues	Convert text to a uniform case (e.g., lowercase) using Python (str.lower()) or Excel functions.

Step 4 - Handling Missing Data

Missing data can distort analysis and reduce the reliability of results. Handling it appropriately ensures that your dataset remains complete and accurate without compromising its integrity when carrying out data cleaning in data mining.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do this.

1. Remove Records with Missing Values

This method is best suited when missing data affects non-critical fields or occurs in a small percentage of the dataset. Removing such records helps streamline the analysis without significantly impacting results.

2. Impute Missing Values

Imputation involves filling missing values with estimated or calculated data to maintain dataset completeness.

Using Statistical Measures: Replace missing entries with the mean, median, or mode of the relevant field.
Using Predictive Models: Advanced techniques like regression or k-nearest neighbors predict missing values based on other variables.

3. Leave Null Values and Adapt Algorithms

In cases where algorithms can handle null values effectively, leaving them as-is may be a practical choice.

Examples of Handling Missing Data

By selecting the most appropriate strategy – tabulated below – you can address missing data while preserving the overall integrity and usability of the dataset.

Scenario	Strategy/ Action
Missing Income Data in Demographic Analysis	Replace missing values with the average income for the relevant demographic group.
Missing Customer Age in a Sales Dataset	Use regression to predict missing ages based on related fields like purchase history or location.
Missing Survey Responses in Optional Fields	Drop rows with null values in non-critical survey questions to focus on core responses.

Step 5 - Validating and Ensuring QA

Validation is the final and critical step when it comes to data cleaning in data mining. It ensures that the refined dataset meets quality standards and is ready for analysis. This process involves cross-checking the data for consistency, accuracy, and relevance to business objectives.

Validation Checklist

By running through this checklist, you can confirm that the data is consistent, meaningful, and aligned with the intended goals, ultimately ensuring that it delivers accurate and actionable insights.

Validation Aspect	Explanation
Consistency with Domain Rules	Verify that the data adheres to logical constraints (e.g., age > 0, dates are valid).
Alignment with Expected Trends	Check whether the data aligns with known patterns (e.g., seasonal sales spikes in Q4).
Relevance to Key Business Questions	Ensure that the dataset can provide answers to critical queries or objectives.

What Are the Advanced Techniques for Cleaning Data?

While foundational steps in data cleaning address common errors, advanced data cleaning techniques go a step further by utilizing statistical methods and algorithms to refine datasets.

These techniques not only correct inaccuracies but also enhance the dataset’s overall quality, making it more suitable for complex analyses and predictive modeling.

Explore some of these advanced methods.

Using Regression for Smoothing

Regression is a statistical method used to predict missing or inconsistent values in a dataset by identifying relationships between variables. By applying regression data cleaning techniques, you can smooth data, correct errors, and fill gaps, ensuring a cleaner and more accurate dataset.

But what does regression do for smoothing? Here are the answers!

Identifies Relationships Between Variables: Helps understand how one variable influences another.
Predicts Missing Values: Fills gaps in datasets using established relationships.
Reduces Noise: Smoothens data by identifying and correcting anomalies.
Improves Dataset Consistency: Ensures values align with expected patterns.

Examples of Regression for Smoothing

By integrating regression data cleaning techniques into your data cleaning process, you can refine datasets to ensure consistency, accuracy, and reliability, paving the way for more insightful analysis.

Here are some example scenarios you must explore.

Scenario	Action
Predicting Missing Sales Figures	Use linear regression to estimate monthly sales based on marketing spend and seasonal factors.
Filling Gaps in Customer Purchase Data	Use regression to estimate missing purchase amounts based on transaction history and demographics.

Use Multivariate Regression

Multivariate regression is an advanced statistical data cleaning technique used to understand the relationship between multiple independent variables and a single dependent variable.

This method is particularly effective when multiple factors influence an outcome, enabling a more accurate prediction of missing or incorrect values in a dataset.

The purpose of multivariate regression is to utilize multiple predictors to provide a more nuanced and precise estimation of values, especially in datasets with complex relationships.

But what exactly does multivariate regression do? Have a look!

Accounts for Multiple Influencing Factors: Considers multiple variables simultaneously to predict an outcome.
Improves Accuracy of Predictions: Provides refined estimates by analyzing interactions between variables.
Reduces Noise in Data: Helps smooth inconsistencies by using established patterns within the dataset.
Handles Complex Datasets: Especially useful for data with interdependencies between multiple variables.

Examples of Multivariate Regression

By incorporating multivariate regression as one of your data cleaning techniques during data mining, you can resolve complex issues, accurately estimate missing values, and enhance the overall reliability of your dataset.

Here are some realistic example scenarios.

Scenario	Action
Predicting Property Prices	Use variables like square footage, location, and age of the building to estimate property prices.
Estimating Sales Revenue	Combine advertising spend, product pricing, and seasonality to predict monthly sales figures.
Identifying Patient Recovery Time	Use patient age, medical history, and treatment type to predict recovery duration.

Also Read: Introduction to Multivariate Regression in Machine Learning: Complete Guide

Clustering Data Cleaning Techniques

Clustering is a powerful data cleaning technique that groups similar data points based on shared characteristics. By identifying these clusters, it becomes easier to detect outliers, reduce noise, and improve the overall quality of the dataset. This technique is especially useful for datasets with diverse or unstructured data.

Clustering aims to organize data into meaningful groups (clusters) to identify patterns and isolate anomalies. It simplifies complex datasets, making them more manageable and suitable for analysis.

Here are the clustering methods you can use.

1. K-means Clustering for Numerical Data
It divides data into clusters by minimizing the distance between data points within a cluster and the cluster centroid.

Example: Grouping customers based on purchasing behavior.

2. Hierarchical Clustering for Categorical or Mixed Data Types
It builds a hierarchy of clusters, which can be visualized as a tree or dendrogram. It’s highly suitable for datasets with mixed data types.

Example: Classifying products based on features like type, price range, and brand.

Real-World Scenarios of Clustering Data Cleaning Techniques

By applying clustering data cleaning techniques, you can better organize your dataset, reduce inconsistencies, and focus on the most relevant insights for analysis.

Have a look at some real-life scenarios of clustering at work.

Scenario	Action
Identifying Customer Segments	Use K-means clustering to group customers by spending habits, frequency of purchases, and product categories.
Classifying Patient Data in Healthcare	Apply hierarchical clustering to categorize patients based on symptoms, age, and treatment outcomes.

Also Read: What is Clustering in Machine Learning and Different Types of Clustering Methods

Binning Technique

The binning method is a data cleaning technique that transforms continuous data into discrete intervals, or "bins." This approach is widely used in data cleaning to reduce noise, identify patterns, and enhance the clarity of the dataset for analysis.

By grouping values into bins, you can simplify the dataset while preserving its meaningful structure.

The primary goal of binning is to organize data into manageable ranges, making it easier to analyze and interpret. It helps detect outliers and smooth inconsistencies without compromising the dataset's overall integrity.

Explore the techniques of data binning below.

Equal-Width Binning: Divides the range of data into bins of equal size.
Equal-Frequency Binning: Groups data so that each bin contains approximately the same number of records.
Boundary-Based Binning: Replaces values within a bin with boundary values (e.g., minimum or maximum of the bin).

Examples of the Binning Method

The binning method is an efficient way to simplify datasets and prepare data for advanced analyses by organizing continuous variables into meaningful categories.

Have a look at some real-life inspired scenarios of the same.

Scenario	Action
Categorizing Age Groups	Use equal-width binning to divide ages into fixed ranges like 0–10, 11–20, etc.
Grouping Income Levels	Apply equal-frequency binning to create salary brackets with an equal number of entries.
Smoothing Sales Data for Analysis	Use boundary-based binning to replace sales figures in a range with the bin midpoint.

Normalization and Standardization Data Cleaning Techniques

Normalization and standardization are preprocessing techniques used to scale and transform data to ensure uniformity across features. These methods are particularly useful when dealing with datasets where variables have different ranges, units, or distributions, which can affect the performance of algorithms.

The main objective of these data cleaning techniques is to make data comparable, eliminate biases caused by differing scales, and prepare datasets for machine learning or statistical analysis.

Have a look at the different ways in which this is done.

Min-Max Normalization: Rescales data to a specific range, typically 0 to 1.
Z-Score Standardization: Centers data around the mean and scales it to have unit variance.
Decimal Scaling: Moves the decimal point of values to bring them into a consistent range.

Examples of Normalization and Standardization

By normalizing and standardizing your data, you ensure that all features contribute equally to the analysis, improving the accuracy and reliability of your results.

Explore realistic scenarios below.

Scenario	Action
Preparing Financial Data for Modeling	Apply min-max normalization to bring income and expenditure data within the same range.
Comparing Exam Scores Across Classes	Use z-score standardization to standardize scores for accurate comparison of students' performance.
Adjusting Sales Figures for Analysis	Use decimal scaling to bring sales figures into a more manageable range for statistical models.

Automating Data Cleaning with AI

With the exponential growth of data, manual data cleaning techniques can be time-consuming and prone to human error. Automating data cleaning with AI streamlines the process, ensuring faster and more accurate results.

AI-driven tools utilize advanced machine learning algorithms to detect, correct, and refine data issues, allowing you to focus on deriving insights rather than fixing errors.

The primary goal of using AI for data cleaning is to improve efficiency, accuracy, and scalability, especially for large datasets. Automated tools can handle complex issues such as detecting patterns, filling missing values, and eliminating duplicates without constant human intervention.

Tools Used for Automating Data Cleaning With AI

Trifacta Wrangler: Automates data wrangling tasks with a user-friendly interface.
IBM Infosphere QualityStage: Focuses on identifying and fixing data quality issues in real time.
Tableau Prep: Provides AI-enhanced features for cleaning and combining datasets visually.
Python Libraries: Tools like Pandas and TensorFlow can be scripted for customized automation.
DataRobot: Uses AI to preprocess data efficiently for machine learning pipelines.

Here are the benefits of automating data cleaning in data mining.

Benefit	Description
Increased Efficiency	Automates repetitive tasks like removing duplicates, saving analysts significant time.
Improved Accuracy	Reduces human error by using AI algorithms to detect and correct inconsistencies.
Scalability	Handles large, complex datasets that are impractical to clean manually.
Faster Insights	Speeds up the data preparation process, allowing quicker access to actionable insights.
Cost-Effectiveness	Reduces resource requirements for manual cleaning, optimizing operational budgets.

What Are the Most Effective Tools for Data Cleaning?

Cleaning data manually can be time-consuming, error-prone, and inefficient, especially for large and complex datasets. Using dedicated tools not only speeds up the process but also ensures greater accuracy and consistency.

These tools often come equipped with features like pattern detection, automated error correction, and intuitive interfaces, making them indispensable for modern data cleaning workflows.

Here’s what makes these tools so important.

Automated tools process data faster than manual methods, saving valuable time.
They reduce the likelihood of human errors by applying consistent algorithms and rules.
They’re capable of handling large datasets that would be impractical to clean manually.
Many tools offer AI and machine learning capabilities to detect and correct complex data issues.
User-friendly interfaces and visual workflows make data cleaning in data mining accessible even to non-technical users.

Here's a tabulated list of the most popular tools for data cleaning in data mining.

Tool Name	Description
OpenRefine	An open-source tool for cleaning and transforming messy data, particularly useful for large datasets.
Data Ladder	Specializes in de-duplication, standardization, and validation for accurate and consistent datasets.
R Libraries (dplyr, tidyr)	Provides tools for transforming and tidying datasets, widely used in statistical analysis.
Cloudingo	Focused on cleaning and deduplicating CRM data, particularly Salesforce.
Winpure	A simple yet powerful solution for cleaning, deduplicating, and standardizing business data.

Also Read: Top 10 Latest Data Science Techniques You Should be Using

From the above section, you got enough understanding how to clean the data, but why we need to clean the data?

What Are the Common Data Quality Issues in Data Cleaning?

A few years ago, IDC confirmed that a global study revealed only 30% of professionals were confident in their data quality – shocking, isn't it? Addressing poor data quality issues is, therefore, vital for maximizing the value of data mining efforts. But in order to clean data, you need first to understand what those quality issues are.

So, here's a breakdown of common data quality issues companies face and their solutions. Have a look.

Data Quality Issue	Description	Solutions
Missing Values	Blank or null entries that compromise the integrity of analysis.	Impute values using mean, median, or predictive models. Remove irrelevant rows.
Duplicate Data	Repeated records caused by merging datasets or collection errors.	Use tools like Python's Pandas to identify and remove duplicates.
Incorrect Data Types	Fields with mismatched formats, such as strings in numeric columns.	Convert data to appropriate formats and validate during preprocessing.
Outliers and Anomalies	Values that significantly deviate from the rest of the dataset, affecting trends and averages.	Validate outliers manually or use statistical methods like Z-scores to filter.
Inconsistent Formats	Variations in capitalization, date styles, or measurement units.	Standardize using scripts or tools to ensure uniformity (e.g., consistent date formats).
Spelling and Typographical Errors	Errors in textual data that lead to misclassification or duplication.	Automate corrections with spell-check tools or manual review when necessary.

Addressing these issues ensures that your datasets are consistent, reliable, and ready for analysis, allowing you to extract meaningful patterns and insights.

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What Are the Key Components of Quality Data?

Quality data is the foundation for reliable analysis, informed decision-making, and meaningful insights. It refers to data that is accurate, consistent, complete, and ready for use.

Here are the key components of quality data that you must know.

Validity: Data must adhere to defined business rules and constraints to be meaningful and actionable. For example, age values should always be positive, and dates should follow the expected format.
Accuracy: The data should reflect real-world values as closely as possible. This ensures trust in the outcomes derived from analysis. For instance, customer names and addresses in a CRM system should match their actual details.
Completeness: All necessary data fields should be filled, leaving no critical information missing. For example, a dataset used for demographic analysis should include attributes like age, gender, and location for every entry.
Consistency: Uniformity across datasets ensures seamless integration and analysis. For example, product categories in different databases should align without discrepancies like “electronics” in one and “Electronics” in another.
Uniformity: Data should use consistent units of measurement across the dataset. For example, all weights should be recorded in kilograms, not a mix of kilograms and pounds.

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What Are the Benefits of Data Cleaning in Data Mining?

Reliable data forms the backbone of effective data mining, allowing you to derive accurate insights and make informed decisions. In fact, data analytics is a great career option as data analysts earn great salaries in India and abroad.

That being said, here are the most elemental benefits of data cleaning in data mining that you must know.

Removal of Errors and Inconsistencies: Data cleaning eliminates duplicates, incorrect entries, and formatting issues, ensuring a solid foundation for analysis.
Improved Decision-Making: Clean data provides accurate insights, enabling sound business strategies and reducing the risk of errors caused by flawed information.
Enhanced Customer Satisfaction and Employee Efficiency: Reliable data leads to improved customer interactions and streamlines employee workflows, boosting overall productivity and satisfaction.
Better Reporting and Trend Identification: Clean datasets support clear, actionable reports and enable the identification of meaningful patterns and trends for strategic planning.

What Are the Challenges in Data Cleaning and How to Overcome Them?

Data cleaning is not without its difficulties. As datasets grow in size and complexity, so do the challenges associated with ensuring their quality. Issues like handling massive volumes of data, integrating diverse formats, and maintaining consistency over time can slow down processes and introduce errors if not managed effectively.

Overcoming these challenges – tabulated below – requires a combination of strategies, tools, and collaboration. Have a look.

Challenge	What is It?	How to Resolve It?
High Volume of Data	Large datasets can be overwhelming and time-consuming to process manually.	Use scalable tools like Trifacta Wrangler or Apache Hadoop to automate and handle big data efficiently.
Diversity of Sources and Formats	Data from multiple sources often comes in different formats, structures, and units.	Standardize formats using data cleaning tools like OpenRefine, and create common integration protocols.
Continuous Cleaning Requirements	Data changes over time, requiring regular updates to maintain quality.	Implement automated cleaning workflows and monitor data quality continuously using AI-driven tools.
Lack of Domain Expertise and Collaboration	Cleaning data without understanding the context can lead to errors or misinterpretations.	Collaborate with domain experts to validate data quality and ensure compliance with business needs.

By addressing these challenges with structured approaches and advanced tools, you can streamline the data cleaning in data mining, making it more efficient and effective.

Learn more about data wrangling from our webinar video below.

Conclusion

Data cleaning is the unsung hero of effective data mining. While it may not always be the most glamorous part of the process, its impact on the accuracy and reliability of insights is undeniable.

Clean data ensures that every analysis, prediction, or strategy is built on a solid foundation, reducing errors and maximizing efficiency. From addressing inconsistencies to utilizing advanced techniques like regression and clustering, data cleaning transforms raw, messy information into actionable intelligence.

The value of clean data isn’t just in what it can tell you — it’s in what you can achieve with it. Eager to make a career in this impactful industry? Start with upGrad’s online courses in data science. If you have questions about which of our courses would be best suited for your skills, you can also book a free career counseling call with us.

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