Data collection is the foundation of data analytics. It involves gathering raw data from various sources, including databases, APIs, IoT devices, and web scraping techniques. The quality of collected data directly affects the accuracy of analytics results.
| Method | Description | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Web Scraping | Extracting data from web pages using automated scripts. | Market research, price tracking, sentiment analysis. |
| APIs | Retrieving structured data from web services. | Financial data retrieval, social media analytics. |
| IoT Data Streams | Collecting real-time data from connected devices. | Smart homes, predictive maintenance, healthcare monitoring. |
| Manual Data Entry | Manually inputting data into a database. | Survey results, lab records, business forms. |