Introduction to Data Science
Chapter 1: Getting Started with Data Science
Defining Data Science
Why Data Science Matters
The Role of a Data Scientist
Essential Skills Overview
Common Tools in Data Science
Quiz for Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Understanding Data Fundamentals
What Constitutes Data?
Structured vs Unstructured Data
Quantitative vs Qualitative Data
Common Data Formats
Understanding Data Attributes and Features
Introduction to Metadata
Quiz for Chapter 2
Chapter 3: The Data Science Process
Overview of the Data Science Workflow
Defining the Problem or Question
Data Acquisition Approaches
Data Preparation Overview
Understanding Exploratory Data Analysis
Introduction to Modeling Concepts
Communicating Findings
Quiz for Chapter 3
Chapter 4: Gathering and Preparing Data
Identifying Data Sources
Importing Data
Introduction to Data Cleaning
Handling Missing Values
Identifying Potential Outliers
Basic Data Transformation Needs
Hands-on Practical: Simple Data Loading
Quiz for Chapter 4
Chapter 5: Performing Basic Data Analysis
Starting Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)
Calculating Summary Statistics
Measuring Data Spread
Understanding Frequency Distributions
Distinguishing Correlation and Causation
Introduction to Hypothesis Concepts
Hands-on Practical: Calculating Basic Statistics
Quiz for Chapter 5
Chapter 6: Introduction to Data Visualization
The Purpose of Visualizing Data
Common Chart Types Explained
Choosing Appropriate Charts
Principles of Effective Visualization
Overview of Visualization Tools
Hands-on Practical: Creating Basic Charts
Quiz for Chapter 6
Why Data Science Matters
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- Data Science for Business: What You Need to Know about Data Mining and Data-Analytic Thinking, Foster Provost, Tom Fawcett, 2013 (O'Reilly Media) - A foundational book explaining the business context of data science and how it drives value through data-analytic thinking.
- An Introduction to Statistical Learning: With Applications in Python, Gareth James, Daniela Witten, Trevor Hastie, Robert Tibshirani, Jonathan Taylor, 2023 (Springer) DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-38747-0 - An accessible textbook introducing fundamental statistical learning methods that form the basis for many modern data science and machine learning techniques.
- Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy, Cathy O'Neil, 2016 (Crown) - Critically examines the societal impact of data-driven algorithms and models, highlighting the importance of ethical considerations in data science.