“This is my favorite part about analytics: Taking boring flat data and bringing it to life through visualization” - John Tukey (American Mathematician and Statistician)
The above mentioned statement made By John Tukey – known for the development of the box plot and Fast Fourier Transform Algorithm – points at three different ideas: Data Extraction, Data Analytics and Data Visualization.
Raw data is available in abundance around us. Data Analytics helps in deriving meaningful insights and valuable correlations from this “flat data”.
Data Visualization helps in the presentation of findings in visually appealing and understandable forms which help in driving business decisions.
Data Analytics Projects are a form of this Data Visualization. A Data Analytics Project helps an individual to showcase his analytical skills on a specific issue; thereby convincing his potential employer of his potential as a Data Analyst and thereby building his Data Analytics portfolio.
In this blog, we will look at some of the top Data Analytics Project Ideas which could help you grab this coveted job. However, before moving into the question of the Data Analytics Project for Students, we will consider certain other aspects of the domain as well.
What is Data Analytics?
As the name suggests, Data Analytics implies the process of making sense of data. It is a discipline which deals with the management of data through its collection and storage as well as, with the techniques, processes and tools, which help in analyzing it.
The main purpose of Data Analytics is to discover patterns, valuable correlations, unseen trends, and consequently, extract meaningful insights which could help in undertaking business decisions, making predictions as well as improving its efficiency.
For a more detailed understanding of Data Analytics, check out our blog on “What is Data Analytics?”
Components of a Data Analytics Project
In this section, we will look at some of the components of a Good Data Analytics Project. These components are largely in terms of what exactly an interviewer looks for in data analysis projects and what they find impressive. So, let us look at what these components are:
- Real Data
Projects involving data produced in real-time or real data generated by users, give a sense to the person examining it that the student has an idea of working with timely and relevant data. Data sets which are too old are considered redundant.
- Exploiting Modern Technologies
This component of a good Data Analytics Project pertains to the ability of a student to make use of technologies which could help him to extract real data. This can involve using API’s as well as Databases in the Cloud for storing data. Data Analytics Projects which are considered to be good should be able to give the interviewer a sense that the student knows how to use the API in order to acquire data.
This might include geolocations, real-time updates, text and numbers as well as timestamps and dates for records. It is important to remember that working with APIs give a sense of your skill in using libraries, data structures and dictionaries as well as in configuring APIs in your code.
Additionally, if you are able to showcase that you are capable of building a data pipeline with a cloud provider, then it will definitely be a huge plus point and will help to set you apart from others.
- Model Building
Building Models is definitely considered to be an important consideration in any Data Analytics Project Idea. However, it is simply not enough to learn to build models. It is equally important to be absolutely clear about the things which made you decide upon a particular model for your project.
Thus, while using a particular model for your Data Analytics Project, you should be clear about why you chose that model, what was the objective you sought to achieve with that model, what were the assumptions of the model, how did you attempt data cleaning, what kind of validation tests did you execute on the data, and so on.
This is because the examiner is quite likely to be more interested in your thought process than the mere performance of the models.
- Acquiring Validation
It is not simply enough to complete a Data Analytics Project. Good Data Analytics Projects contain findings which have an impact in terms of helping others to take decisions. If you are able to convince the interviewer that people care about your work and find it valuable by sharing the feedback received on your project; it would definitely be an impressive act.
