Learn to:

• Collect, clean, and interpret data
• Effectively communicate data analysis
• Make good predictions

Big data making you dizzy? Relax?here's what it's all about

Big data figures into everything from weather forecasting to political polling. Don't let it give you a big headache; use this friendly book to learn about it in manageable, bite-size chunks. You'll get a handle on the statistical methods used when working with big data, applications for it, ways to organize and check data, and a whole lot more.

• Solving the big mystery?find out what big data is, characteristics that define it, how it's used, and what it makes possible
• How to handle it ? explore statistical techniques used with big data, including probability distributions, regression analysis, time series analysis, and forecasting techniques
• Getting graphical ? learn how big data can be analyzed with graphical techniques and how to identify valid, useful, and understandable patterns in data
• A variable approach ? examine key univariate and multivariate statistical techniques for analyzing data
• Thinking ahead ? discover techniques for forecasting the future values of a dataset
• There's a tool for that ? learn about the best software packages and programming tools for analyzing statistical data

Open the book and find:

• Ways to extract previously unknown information from a database
• Tips for data collection and cleaning
• Techniques for analyzing time series data
• How to check data for missing information
• What to do with outliers in a dataset
• Some surprising uses for big data
• An overview of modeling techniques