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

Status: Free Trial
Google
Process Data from Dirty to Clean
Skills you'll gain: Data Cleansing, Sampling (Statistics), Data Integrity, Data Quality, Data Validation, Sample Size Determination, Data Analysis, Data Manipulation, SQL, Data Transformation, Spreadsheet Software
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
18K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of California San Diego
Introduction to Big Data
Skills you'll gain: Big Data, Apache Hadoop, Scalability, Data Processing, Data Science, Distributed Computing, Unstructured Data, Data Analysis, Real Time Data, Data Storage
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
11K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
IBM
IBM Data Architecture
Skills you'll gain: NoSQL, Data Warehousing, SQL, Apache Hadoop, Extract, Transform, Load, Apache Airflow, Data Security, Linux Commands, Data Migration, Database Design, Data Governance, MySQL, Apache Spark, Data Pipelines, Apache Kafka, Database Management, Bash (Scripting Language), Shell Script, Database Architecture and Administration, Data Store
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
6.6K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Google Cloud
Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Cloud Data Engineer
Skills you'll gain: Data Pipelines, Dataflow, Google Cloud Platform, Real Time Data, Data Maintenance, Data Lakes, Data Storage, MLOps (Machine Learning Operations), Data Analysis, Dashboard, Data Warehousing, Data Processing, Extract, Transform, Load, Cloud Engineering, Data Infrastructure, Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Storage, Big Data, Tensorflow, Unstructured Data
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
19K reviews
Intermediate · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
SkillUp EdTech
Data Collection and Root Cause Analysis
Skills you'll gain: Root Cause Analysis, Correlation Analysis, Regression Analysis, Statistical Methods, Statistics, Data Collection, Descriptive Statistics, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Analysis, Process Analysis, Lean Six Sigma, Data Analysis, Process Improvement, Statistical Inference, Analytical Skills, Pareto Chart, Performance Measurement
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
6 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Johns Hopkins University
Data Science: Foundations using R
Skills you'll gain: Rmarkdown, Exploratory Data Analysis, Version Control, Statistical Analysis, R Programming, Data Manipulation, Data Cleansing, Data Science, Data Wrangling, Data Visualization, Plot (Graphics), Statistical Programming, Ggplot2, Big Data, Git (Version Control System), Data Integration, Knitr, Data Analysis, Data Sharing, Statistical Reporting
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
48K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Google
Prepare Data for Exploration
Skills you'll gain: Data Ethics, Data Analysis, Data Literacy, Data Security, Google Sheets, Data Cleansing, Databases, Data Access, Data Quality, Data Management, Data Collection, Relational Databases, SQL, Metadata Management, Unstructured Data
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
22K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Colorado Boulder
Introduction to Data Analytics for Business
Skills you'll gain: Data Governance, Data Storage Technologies, Analytics, Business Analytics, Data Storage, Big Data, Databases, Business Intelligence, Data Analysis, Relational Databases, Data Quality, SQL, Organizational Structure, Cloud Computing
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
3.2K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
IBM Data Warehouse Engineer
Skills you'll gain: Data Warehousing, SQL, Extract, Transform, Load, Apache Airflow, Linux Commands, Database Design, IBM Cognos Analytics, MySQL, Data Pipelines, Apache Kafka, Database Management, Bash (Scripting Language), Shell Script, Database Architecture and Administration, Data Store, IBM DB2, Dashboard, Relational Databases, File Management, Star Schema
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
6.1K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Generative AI for Data Analysts
Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, Generative AI, ChatGPT, Data Storytelling, OpenAI, Analytics, Data Analysis, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Dashboard, Large Language Modeling, Data Ethics, Artificial Intelligence, Program Development, Data Visualization Software, SQL, Python Programming, Query Languages, Content Creation, Image Analysis, Virtual Environment
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
6.9K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Virginia Darden School Foundation
IBM & Darden Digital Strategy
Skills you'll gain: Strategic Thinking, Digital Transformation, Business Strategy, Cloud Computing Architecture, Competitive Analysis, Cloud Services, Large Language Modeling, Business Transformation, Cloud Security, Cloud Technologies, Cloud Infrastructure, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Platforms, Data Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Cloud Hosting, OpenAI, Product Lifecycle Management, Business Technologies
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
45K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Packt
AWS Data Collection and Storage
Skills you'll gain: Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon S3, AWS Kinesis, Amazon CloudWatch, Cloud Storage, Data Pipelines, Data Management, AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Data Storage, Real Time Data, Scalability, Encryption
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks