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
University of California, Davis
Fundamentals of Visualization with Tableau
Skills you'll gain: Data Visualization Software, Data Visualization, Interactive Data Visualization, Dashboard, Tableau Software, Data Presentation, Tree Maps, Data Analysis, Data Import/Export
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
6.7K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
Packt
MongoDB Tutorial for Beginners (2024)
Skills you'll gain: MongoDB, NoSQL, MySQL, Database Development, SQL, Software Installation, Database Management, Databases, Database Design, Relational Databases, Data Management, Data Structures
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Google
Put It to Work: Prepare for Cybersecurity Jobs
Skills you'll gain: Incident Response, Stakeholder Communications, Cyber Threat Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Incident Management, Security Awareness, Data Ethics, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Stakeholder Engagement, Data Security, Asset Protection, Information Privacy, Communication, Artificial Intelligence, Professional Networking
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
5.3K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: New
Coursera Instructor Network
Microsoft Copilot for Power BI: AI-Powered Report Insights
Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), Power BI, Dashboard, Data Modeling, Business Intelligence, Microsoft Excel, Data Visualization Software, Microsoft Copilot, Data Integration, Interactive Data Visualization, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Data Manipulation, Data Transformation, Data Cleansing, ChatGPT
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
Packt
NLP – Embeddings & Text Preprocessing in Python
Skills you'll gain: Natural Language Processing, Text Mining, Data Processing, Applied Machine Learning, Data Transformation, Unstructured Data, Feature Engineering, Machine Learning Algorithms, Computer Programming
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
Packt
Advanced ML Algorithms & Unsupervised Learning
Skills you'll gain: Dimensionality Reduction, Unsupervised Learning, Deep Learning, Random Forest Algorithm, Machine Learning Algorithms, Machine Learning, Decision Tree Learning, Classification And Regression Tree (CART), Feature Engineering, Supervised Learning, Statistical Machine Learning, Predictive Modeling, Artificial Intelligence, Exploratory Data Analysis
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
University of Virginia
Marketing Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Marketing Analytics, Marketing Effectiveness, Marketing, Marketing Strategies, Regression Analysis, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Strategic Marketing, Brand Management, Resource Allocation, Customer Insights, Predictive Analytics, Advertising Campaigns, Statistical Analysis, A/B Testing, Consumer Behaviour, Return On Investment
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
6.4K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Johns Hopkins University
Introduction to Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Skills you'll gain: Clinical Trials, Clinical Research, Qualitative Research, Data Synthesis, Scientific Methods, Research Methodologies, Data Collection, Biostatistics, Analysis, Quantitative Research, Risk Analysis, Statistical Methods, Epidemiology, Statistical Analysis
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
3.5K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: New
Universidades Anáhuac
Visualización de datos efectiva
Skills you'll gain: Interactive Data Visualization, Data Storytelling, Data Presentation, Infographics, Data Visualization Software, Data Analysis, Graphic and Visual Design, Information Architecture, Multimedia, Design Elements And Principles, Timelines, User Centered Design
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: New
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Wrangling Computing Environments: Using Docker for Research
Skills you'll gain: CI/CD, Containerization, Docker (Software), Development Environment, Application Deployment, Devops Tools, Debugging, GitHub, Software Versioning, Command-Line Interface, Software Installation
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Google Cloud
Google Cloud Digital Leader Training
Skills you'll gain: Cloud Management, Serverless Computing, Google Cloud Platform, Digital Transformation, Data Governance, Cloud Services, Distributed Denial-Of-Service (DDoS) Attacks, Cloud Security, Cloud Infrastructure, Application Programming Interface (API), Real Time Data, Tensorflow, Data Management, Hybrid Cloud Computing, Data Warehousing, Artificial Intelligence, Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS), Cloud Computing, Big Data, Data Security
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
4.6K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Johns Hopkins University
Introduction to Genomic Technologies
Skills you'll gain: Bioinformatics, Data Science, Molecular Biology, Data Analysis, Programming Principles, Computer Science, Statistical Analysis, Computational Thinking, Big Data, Software Engineering, Algorithms, Biology
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
4.7K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks