Chapter 3. Understanding Your Data Using R

In this chapter, we will explore the idea of adding context to the data you are working with.

Specifically, we'll discuss the importance of establishing data context, as well as the practice of profiling your data for context discovery and how big data affects this effort.

At some point, you will perhaps discover that although the big data sources you have access to have the potential to positively impact your marketing efforts, profitability, decision making, or even your life, there also exists the risk of drawing incorrect conclusions from that same data. In fact, one could argue that the bigger the data, the bigger the risk. Thankfully, by properly profiling your data, you can see the big picture that your data provides a bit more clearly (that is, putting your data in context).

This chapter is organized into the following main sections:

In Chapter 2, Access, Speed, and Storage...