Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)

From InfoVis:Wiki
Revision as of 01:42, 21 July 2007 by WatHdm (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

fioricet online buy ultracet tracfone ringtones funny ringtones cheap clomid samsung ringtones clomid online lipitor online ortho online free ringtones buy lortab cheap valium order xenical buy soma free mp3 ringtones prozac online buy albuterol but lipitor sagem ringtones buy cyclobenzaprine propecia online samsung ringtones but levitra cheap ambien free alltel ringtones verizon ringtones polyphonic ringtones cheap cialis ericsson ringtones cheap ortho wwe ringtones clomid online free mp3 ringtones vigrx online clonazepam online nexium adipex online cialis ericsson ringtones qwest ringtones verizon ringtones sildenafil online adipex online free kyocera ringtones nexium online free midi ringtones cingular ringtones free nextel ringtones cheap nexium mono ringtones cingular ringtones buy tenuate sony ringtones ambien online cingular ringtones tracfone ringtones cheap xenical cheap flexeril zoloft online cialis buy hoodia prozac online valium albuterol online cheap hgh rivotril online xanax online cyclobenzaprine online diazepam online cialis online order flexeril free sprint ringtones zyban online free tracfone ringtones valium online hydrocodone online cyclobenzaprine vigrx online buy propecia cheap rivotril norco online free free ringtones sony ericsson ringtones vigrx online free mp3 ringtones mtv ringtones sagem ringtones free tracfone ringtones free sony ringtones levitra online online nexium ambien online tracfone ringtones cheap hydrocodone buy ambien but phentermine but cialis ortho online midi ringtones cheap alprazolam lipitor online buy wellbutrin pharmacy online samsung ringtones cool ringtones funny ringtones free alltel ringtones fioricet online free nokia ringtones order paxil lortab sony ericsson ringtones polyphonic ringtones cheap lipitor ortho online free cool ringtones cheap prozac hgh online viagra online free jazz ringtones sildenafil online free sony ericsson ringtones hgh sagem ringtones ericsson ringtones cheap viagra tramadol online cheap adipex polyphonic ringtones hgh online xanax online viagra online cheap hoodia online norco alprazolam online ativan online hydrocodone online cheap ultram xanax sony ringtones free verizon ringtones free sony ericsson ringtones punk ringtones zanaflex online free music ringtones music ringtones viagra online cheap hydrocodone cheap xenical free sharp ringtones hgh online phentermine online cheap celexa free ringtones hgh online cheap celexa nokia ringtones free motorola ringtones buy soma motorola ringtones cheap tramadol cyclobenzaprine online norco online celexa online buy cyclobenzaprine cheap ultram cheap propecia cheap celexa verizon ringtones xenical online ambien albuterol online ultram online cheap ultram tramadol online cheap ambien cheap carisoprodol free mp3 ringtones norco vicodin online free sony ringtones hoodia online sildenafil online cheap vicodin motorola ringtones free jazz ringtones qwest ringtones cheap cialis cheap ambien lisinopril online verizon ringtones valium online ultram online buy meridia levitra online cheap xenical free cool ringtones ortho online xanax online fioricet

Exploratory data analysis (EDA) was introduced by John Tukey as an approach to analyze data when there is only a low level of knowledge about its cause system as well as contextual information. EDA aims at letting the data itself influence the process of suggesting hypotheses instead of only using it to evaluate given (a priori) hypotheses.
Explorative - opposed to Confirmatory - Data Analysis is like detective work looking for patterns, analomies or in general new insights and is usually done via graphical representations of the underlying data-set.
Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) is detective work – numerical detective work – or counting detective work – or graphical detective work ... unless exploratory data analysis uncovers indications, usually quantitative ones, there is likely to be nothing for confirmatory data analysis to consider ... [it] can never be the whole story, but nothing else can serve as the foundation stone - as the first step.
[Tukey, 1977, p. 1-3]


Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) is an approach/philosophy for data analysis that employs a variety of techniques (mostly graphical) to maximize
1. insight into a data set;
2. uncover underlying structure;
3. extract important variables;
4. detect outliers and anomalies;
5. test underlying assumptions;
6. develop parsimonious models; and
7. determine optimal factor settings.

The EDA approach is precisely that--an approach--not a set of techniques, but an attitude/philosophy about how a data analysis should be carried out.
[Filliben, 2004]


[...] is concerned primarily with explorations and description of data, not with inference. The techniques are designed to identify fundamental, conceptually meaningful patterns and relationships in data and to call attention to observations that deviate greatly from those fundamental patterns
[Smith and Prentice, 1993]


Exploratory data analysis as the process of searching and analyzing databases to find implicit but potentially useful information, is a difficult task. At the beginning, the analyst has no hypothesis about the data. According to John Tuckey, tools as well as understanding are needed [Tukey, 1977] for the interactive and usually undirected search for structures and trends.
[Keim et al., 2006]



Furthermore, EDA can be used to support the selection of appropriate statistical tools as well as to provide a basis for statistical inference and further data collection.

Essential to EDA are graphical tools like box plots, stem