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5.3
Organizing Data
P
urpose
The role this topic plays in quantitative reasoning
At its base, organizing data is the process of putting structure to and creating relationships among the
data in order to produce more complex information. It is through this process that we begin to construct
meaning and understanding from data. The process of organizing data requires that we understand
how those who will be using the data plan or need to use it, additional uses of the data both now and
potentially in future, and finally that we identify and create an structure for that data that meets the user’s
needs both now and in the future.
The more we know about the data, the more precisely and usefully we can define the specification
for its organization. Among the information we should have about the data are things such as a clear
definition of every variable, the level of quality control used during the process of data collection, and
ways that data may be added or obtained in the future. Additionally, the individual who is responsible
for organizing the data must always consider ongoing data maintenance: the editing and updating of the
data set. Exploring the variety of ways that data is used will expand your own thinking when it comes
to structuring and using data. Additionally, by clarifying the ways you use data both now as well as
your anticipated uses of the data in future will help you to identify high quality specifications for the
organization of data. It is important to remember that the final organization of a universe of data may
well mean multiple data sets, each targeted for different purposes, rather than just a single data file.
You will be using what you learned in the previous two experiences,
GeneratingData
and
Obtaining
Data from other Sources
, to help you make decisions on how to organize data. At base, data should
be organized in such a way that it meets the following specifications:
●
New data can be entered easily
●
The quality of data can be validated
●
Data is stored in minimal space
●
Data can be easily accessed for the purposes of transforming and analyzing it
L
earning Goals
What you should learn while completing this activity
1. Analyze the context that generated the data to identify why the data was collected (purpose), how it
was collected (what method), and value the data has for its current owner or user
2. Perform a needs analysis of the potential future users of the data
3. Design organization specifications that meet current and future needs of all identified stakeholders
for that data
D
iscovery
Finding out for yourself
Think about one of your courses and all the things you and your classmates do and all the work products
you produce. As students in a class, you generate a lot of data. From all the assessed and graded work
that you and your classmates produced, which data should your instructor collect and organize in order
to measure and reward/penalize performance in the course? How should the data be collected? How