What is data collection?

Data collection is the systematic process of gathering information like observations or measurements while doing research. When you’re performing research, you’re likely looking for answers to a question you have. When it comes to data collection, digging beyond the surface tells an intriguing story. Collecting data about what you’re researching can help you gain more insight into the details and information that’ll help you answer that question. Although it’s particularly useful in science-related applications, the beauty of data collection is that you can use it to discover answers to almost any query you dream up.

Why learn data collection?

Data are important for helping you (and others, and even computers) make all sorts of different decisions. It helps scientists learn whether their studies are working and assists marketers in sending the right messages to the right people. It's what lets us know if something new we tried is really working. As information becomes digitized, it becomes data that we can use in a variety of ways to accomplish whatever we’ve set out to do. But in order to do that, we need to gather the data first. Without data collection to compile that information, we can’t be truly efficient in analyzing those details — what if something is missing? If you’re aiming to understand how research is conducted and decisions are made, it’s essential to learn about data collection’s role.

What career opportunities can arise from learning data collection?

Almost every career that involves data provides opportunities for collecting those data, even if the primary focus isn’t only collecting data. A multitude of different analyst roles require plenty of time spent gathering data, whether you choose to work in fields like marketing, human resources or business or you’re specifically interested in working as a data scientist — someone who directs their efforts toward compiling data and translating it into information that others can use to make decisions. Even working as an actuary — a professional who assesses risks, often in insurance fields — allows you to focus much of your time on dealing with data. But these careers are just the beginning; dozens more give you the opportunity to collect data, so it’s an important skill to have and concept to understand even if it’s not the primary focus of your work.

How can taking online courses on Coursera help me learn data collection?

If you’re looking to boost your data literacy, taking our online classes provides a worthwhile opportunity to pursue your goals whenever it’s most convenient for you. Online courses give you the time and space you need to complete coursework from home while also providing you access to learning materials created by accomplished instructors and other field experts. You’ll enjoy learning the basic frameworks of data collection and analysis as you’re getting started learning about this topic by discovering the role of research, analysis and collection techniques. As you advance, you might choose to study more complex topics like utilizing the Python programming language to create programs that fetch and analyze data. And with a variety of learning programs, from certificates to specializations to course credits for college degrees, you can formalize your data analysis accomplishments as you continue to build skills.

Top Data Collection Courses - Learn Data Collection Online

Explore the Data Collection Course Catalog

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Graduate Certificate in Digital Marketing
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax, Global Marketing
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
Imperial College London
Master of Science in Machine Learning and Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Data Ethics, Supervised Learning, Exploratory Data Analysis, Unsupervised Learning, Student Support and Services, PySpark, Data Pipelines, Linear Algebra, Ggplot2, Dimensionality Reduction, Student Services, Data Processing, Big Data, Agentic systems, Graphing, A/B Testing, Unstructured Data, Deep Learning, Bayesian Statistics, Applied Machine Learning
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Master of Business Administration (iMBA)
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Data Collection, Corporate Tax
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Status: Free Trial
Microsoft
Introduction to JavaScript Programming
Skills you'll gain: Javascript, Program Development, Web Applications, Programming Principles, Software Development, Data Structures, Web Development Tools, Development Environment, Video Game Development, Debugging, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Data Validation, Computer Programming
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
Google Cloud
Menggunakan BigQuery Machine Learning untuk Inferensi
Skills you'll gain: Big Data, Applied Machine Learning, Google Cloud Platform, Data Analysis, Machine Learning, Machine Learning Algorithms
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Magíster en Inversiones y Finanzas Aplicadas
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Descriptive Analytics, FinTech, Financial Statements, Business Analytics, Business Valuation, Derivatives, Corporate Finance, Portfolio Management, Customer Analysis, Credit Risk, Digital Transformation, Cloud Security, Risk Analysis, Assertiveness, Governance, Financial Analysis, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Investments, Data Collection
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Status: Free Trial
Microsoft
Web Development Fundamentals
Skills you'll gain: Responsive Web Design, Web Development, HTML and CSS, Web Applications, Front-End Web Development, Web Design, Semantic Web, Javascript, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Data Storage Technologies, Application Security, User Interface (UI), Data Validation
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
O.P. Jindal Global University
M.A. in International Relations, Security, and Strategy
Skills you'll gain: Diplomacy, Intelligence Collection and Analysis, Surveys, Environmental Laws, Environment, Qualitative Research, Sampling (Statistics), R Programming, Political Sciences, Economic Development, International Relations, Cybersecurity, Immigration Law, Socioeconomics, Governance, Public Safety and National Security, Mitigation, Ancient History, Social Sciences, Conflict Management
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of London
Master of Science in Cyber Security
Skills you'll gain: Security Management, Human Factors (Security), Infrastructure Security, Information Privacy, Key Management, Cyber Governance, Application Security, Network Security, Threat Modeling, OSI Models, Security Testing, Computer Security Incident Management, Cyber Security Policies, Intrusion Detection and Prevention, Cryptography, ISO/IEC 27001, Penetration Testing, Malware Protection, Data Collection, Data Analysis
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
O.P. Jindal Global University
M.A. Public Policy
Skills you'll gain: Econometrics, Surveys, Environmental Laws, Sampling (Statistics), Social Sciences, Public Policies, Political Sciences, Data Collection, Health Disparities, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Economic Development, Policy Analysis, Presentations, International Relations, Diplomacy, Economics, Complex Problem Solving, Immigration Law, Research Methodologies, Socioeconomics
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of Colorado Boulder
Industrial Internet of Things Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Machine Learning Algorithms, Real-Time Operating Systems, Big Data, Product Development, Power Electronics, Analytics, Embedded Systems, Control Systems, File Systems, Internet Of Things, User Experience, Process Control, New Product Development, API Design, Data Analysis, Debugging, Machine Learning, User Interface (UI), Machine Controls, Embedded Software
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of London
Graduate Diploma in Computer Science
Skills you'll gain: Virtual Reality, Human Computer Interaction, Game Design, Full-Stack Web Development, React Native, Agile Software Development, Animations, Data Ethics, Git (Version Control System), Event-Driven Programming, Network Security, Web Applications, Data Science, Natural Language Processing, Unsupervised Learning, Combinatorics, Database Design, Web Development, Generative AI, Usability Testing
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months