Extracting Information from Data (College Board AP® Computer Science Principles): Flashcards
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Define data analysis.
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Define data analysis.
Data analysis is the process of examining data to extract useful information, identify patterns, and draw conclusions.
Define data.
Data is a set of raw facts or values that have not yet been interpreted.
Define information.
Information is data that has been processed and given meaning.
A list of student test scores is used to calculate a class average. Which is the data and which is the information?
The list of test scores is the data, and the class average is the information.
Name two types of pattern that can be identified in data.
Patterns in data include repeated behaviors, upward or downward trends, and clusters.
Combining data from multiple sources can reveal ___________ that are not visible in a single dataset.
Combining data from multiple sources can reveal connections that are not visible in a single dataset.
Define correlation.
Correlation means two variables appear to be related: when one changes, the other tends to change as well.
Define causation.
Causation means a change in one variable directly causes a change in the other.
True or False?
If two variables are correlated, one must cause the other.
False.
Correlation does not prove causation: two variables may change together without one being the reason for the other.
Ice cream sales and sunburn rates both increase in summer. What hidden third factor explains both?
Hot weather explains both the increase in ice cream sales and the increase in sunburn rates.
Name two kinds of evidence, beyond correlation, that support a valid conclusion.
Valid conclusions need evidence such as controlled experiments, logical reasoning, or ruling out other explanations.
How can combining data from multiple sources help when drawing conclusions?
Combining data sources can strengthen conclusions by providing additional evidence.
Define metadata.
Metadata is data about data.
Name three things metadata can do for primary data.
Metadata describes, explains, or locates the primary data without changing the data itself.
Name two examples of metadata for a digital photo.
Metadata for a digital photo includes the date taken, camera settings, GPS location, and file size.
How do file systems use metadata?
File systems use metadata such as file name, date, and type to let users sort, filter, and locate files.
True or False?
Editing the metadata of a file changes the primary data it describes.
False.
Editing metadata does not alter the primary data, because metadata exists independently of it.
Metadata increases the effectiveness of searching and _________.
Metadata increases the effectiveness of searching and filtering.
How does metadata help organize large collections of data?
Metadata provides a consistent structure for categorizing large collections of data.
Search engines use page titles and descriptions to _____ and rank results.
Search engines use page titles and descriptions to index and rank results.
How does metadata support data governance?
Metadata records who created or modified data and when, which helps track changes and verify sources.
Name two items of metadata an operating system generates for every file.
An operating system generates the date created, date modified, file size, file type, and permissions.
What do databases use metadata to define?
Databases use metadata to define the structure of tables, including column names, data types, and relationships between tables.
In which two places does the Internet use metadata to route and display content?
The Internet uses metadata in protocols and HTML tags to route, display, and index content.
What does the ability to process data depend on?
The ability to process data depends on the capabilities of the users and their tools.
Name two challenges that datasets pose regardless of their size.
Challenges include the need to clean data, incomplete data, invalid data, and the need to combine data sources.
Define cleaning data.
Cleaning data is the process of making data uniform without changing its meaning.
Why might data entered into an open field not be uniform?
Users may abbreviate, spell, or capitalize things differently.
Define invalid data.
Invalid data consists of values stored in the wrong format or values that do not match the expected type.
True or False?
Collecting more data eliminates bias.
False.
Bias is not eliminated by collecting more data: a biased collection method produces biased results at any scale.
Problems of bias are often created by the type or ______ of data being collected.
Problems of bias are often created by the type or source of data being collected.
Why can a large dataset be difficult to process on a single computer?
A large dataset can exceed the memory or processing capacity of a single computer.
How does the time required to process data change as a dataset grows?
Processing time scales with dataset size: an operation that takes seconds on a small dataset may take hours on a large one.
Define scalability.
Scalability is the ability of a system to handle increasing amounts of data or workload without a significant loss of performance.
How can a scalable system be expanded?
A scalable system can be expanded by adding more hardware or software resources.
How do parallel systems process large datasets?
Parallel systems divide the work across multiple processors or computers that operate simultaneously.
How does the size of a dataset affect the information that can be extracted from it?
Larger datasets can reveal more patterns, but only if the processing tools can handle them.
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