Exploratory data analysis (EDA) is that part of statistical practice concerned with reviewing, communicating and using data where there is a low level of knowledge about its cause system. It was so named by John Tukey. Many EDA techniques have been adopted into data mining and are being taught to young students as a way to introduce them to statistical thinking. One data collection technique is simple random sampling. ... Data is the plural of datum. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... John Wilder Tukey (June 16, 1915 - July 26, 2000) was a statistician. ... It has been suggested that Tech mining be merged into this article or section. ...

Tukey held that too much emphasis in statistics was placed on evaluating and testing given hypotheses (confirmatory data analysis) and that the balance was in need of redressing in favour of using data to suggest hypotheses to test. In particular, confusion of the two types of analysis and employing them on the same set of data can lead to bias owing to the issues endemic in testing hypotheses suggested by the data. A graph of a bell curve in a normal distribution showing statistics used in educational assessment, comparing various grading methods. ... A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of a phenomenon or reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. ... Data is the plural of datum. ... A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of a phenomenon or reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. ... In statistics, the term bias is used for two different concepts. ... In statistics, hypotheses suggested by the data must be tested differently from hypotheses formed independently of the data. ...

The objectives of EDA are to:

• Suggest hypotheses about the causes of observed phenomena
• Assess assumptions on which statistical inference will be based
• Support the selection of appropriate statistical tools and techniques
• Provide a basis for further data collection through surveys or experiments

The principal graphical tools used in EDA are: A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of a phenomenon or reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. ... A phenomenon (plural: phenomena) is an observable event, especially something special (literally something that can be seen from the Greek word phainomenon = observable). ... The topics below are usually included in the area of interpreting statistical data. ... A graph of a bell curve in a normal distribution showing statistics used in educational assessment, comparing various grading methods. ... Data is the plural of datum. ... In statistics, survey sampling is random selection of a sample from a finite population. ... The first statistician to consider a methodology for the design of experiments was Sir Ronald A. Fisher. ... Graph may refer to: A chart. ...

• Box plot
• Histogram
• MultiVari chart
• Run chart
• Pareto chart
• Scatter plot
• Stem-and-leaf plot

The principal quantitative tools are: Box plot of data from the Michelson-Morley experiment. ... In statistics, a histogram is a graphical display of tabulated frequencies. ... Pareto Chart A Pareto Chart is a special type of Histogram where the values being plotted are arranged in descending order. ... A scatterplot or scatter graph is a graph used in statistics to visually display and compare two sets of related quantitative, or numerical, data by displaying only finitely many points, each having a coordinate on a horizontal and a vertical axis. ... In statistics, a stemplot (or stem-and-leaf plot) is a graphical display of quantitative data that is similar to a histogram and is useful in visualizing the shape of a distribution. ... Quantity is a general term used to refer to any type of quantitative property or attribute, such as mass, length, or time. ...

• Median polish
• Letter values
• Resistant line
• Resistant smooth
• Rootogram

Software

• XLisp-Stat (free software and Lisp based EDA development framework for Mac, PC and X-Windows)
• DataDesk (free-to-try commercial EDA software for Mac and PC)
• Orange (free component-based software for interactive EDA and machine learning)
• GGobi (free interactive multivariate visualization software linked to R)
• MANET (free Mac-only interactive EDA software)
• Mondrian (free interactive software for EDA)
• Fathom (for high-school and intro college courses)
• TinkerPlots (for upper elementary and middle school students)

The R programming language, sometimes described as GNU S, is a programming language and software environment for statistical computing and graphics. ... The first Macintosh computer, introduced in 1984, upgraded to a 512K Fat Mac. ...

Bibliography

• Hoaglin, D C; Mosteller, F & Tukey, J W (Eds) (1985) Exploring Data Tables, Trends and Shapes ISBN 0471097764
• Hoaglin, D C; Mosteller, F & Tukey, J W (Eds) (1983) Understanding Robust and Exploratory Data Analysis ISBN 0471097772
• Tukey, J W (1977) Exploratory Data Analysis ISBN 0201076160
• Velleman, P F & Hoaglin, D C (1981) Applications, Basics and Computing of Exploratory Data Analysis ISBN 087150409X