How to start thinking like a data scientist

Redman, T.C. (2013). How to start thinking like a data scientist. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2013/11/how-to-start-thinking-like-a-data-scientist

Summary

This article presents a simple framework to help people start to think like a data scientist and ask simple questions to study that which they observe.  The basic idea is to start with something that interests or bothers you at work and to form a simple question about it.  Then, devise a plan for collecting data, making sure to define what a data point means.  Once the data is collected, make it visual and begin to look for patterns that might help you answer your question.  It is also important to keep an open mind to more questions that can be raised based on your data and to see if others experience the same phenomena. If more questions come up, start over.

Experience

His article is relevant because in a work setting, we often overcomplicate how we go about collecting data.  What this article reminds me to do is to start with a simple question and devise a simple test to get at the answer.  This framework will also help me tom be more data literate with my scientific colleagues.

KEYWORDS: Data, interpret, plot, scientists, trust