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
Vanderbilt University
ChatGPT: Master Free AI Tools to Supercharge Productivity
Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, ChatGPT, Generative AI, Productivity, AI Personalization, OpenAI, Artificial Intelligence, Personalized Service, Large Language Modeling, Expense Management, Creative Thinking, Ingenuity, Productivity Software, Brainstorming, Travel Arrangements, Innovation, Scenario Testing, Problem Solving, Application Development, Data Quality
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
6.4K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
BI Foundations with SQL, ETL and Data Warehousing
Skills you'll gain: Data Warehousing, Extract, Transform, Load, Apache Airflow, Linux Commands, SQL, IBM Cognos Analytics, Data Pipelines, Apache Kafka, Bash (Scripting Language), Shell Script, Dashboard, File Management, Star Schema, Unix Shell, IBM DB2, Business Intelligence, Interactive Data Visualization, Relational Databases, Stored Procedure, Databases
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
24K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Vanderbilt University
Generative AI Assistants
Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, ChatGPT, Generative AI, Ideation, Verification And Validation, Data Validation, Productivity, AI Personalization, OpenAI, Artificial Intelligence, Personalized Service, Large Language Modeling, Risk Management Framework, Expense Management, Creative Thinking, Ingenuity, Productivity Software, Brainstorming, Data Ethics, Travel Arrangements
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
6.5K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Google Cloud
Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Cloud Engineer
Skills you'll gain: Cloud Infrastructure, Identity and Access Management, Kubernetes, Google Cloud Platform, Prompt Engineering, Cloud Storage, Containerization, Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS), Cloud Computing Architecture, Cloud Management, Cloud Services, Load Balancing, Cloud Engineering, Application Deployment, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Virtual Machines, Data Storage Technologies, Cloud Computing, Network Infrastructure, Docker (Software)
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
59K reviews
Intermediate · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Google
Analyze Data to Answer Questions
Skills you'll gain: Data Validation, Spreadsheet Software, Data Analysis, Analytics, Data Manipulation, Excel Formulas, Data Compilation, Pivot Tables And Charts, SQL, Data Integration, Data Transformation, User Feedback
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
12K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
NoSQL, Big Data, and Spark Foundations
Skills you'll gain: NoSQL, Apache Hadoop, Apache Spark, MongoDB, PySpark, Apache Hive, Databases, Apache Cassandra, Big Data, Machine Learning, Generative AI, IBM Cloud, Applied Machine Learning, Kubernetes, Supervised Learning, Distributed Computing, Docker (Software), Database Management, Data Pipelines, Scalability
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
762 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Pennsylvania
Finance & Quantitative Modeling for Analysts
Skills you'll gain: Return On Investment, Financial Reporting, Capital Budgeting, Financial Statements, Financial Modeling, Mathematical Modeling, Statistical Modeling, Regression Analysis, Business Modeling, Income Statement, Financial Analysis, Risk Analysis, Cash Flows, Business Mathematics, Financial Planning, Corporate Finance, Predictive Analytics, Spreadsheet Software, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
17K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Johns Hopkins University
Advanced Statistics for Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Sampling (Statistics), Regression Analysis, Bayesian Statistics, Statistical Analysis, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Inference, Statistical Methods, Statistical Modeling, Linear Algebra, Probability, R Programming, Biostatistics, Data Science, Probability Distribution, Mathematical Modeling, Data Analysis, Applied Mathematics, Predictive Modeling, Sample Size Determination
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
761 reviews
Advanced · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Google Cloud
Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Cloud Architect
Skills you'll gain: Cloud Infrastructure, Identity and Access Management, Kubernetes, Google Cloud Platform, Prompt Engineering, Application Deployment, Cloud Storage, Containerization, Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS), Cloud Computing, CI/CD, Cloud Computing Architecture, Cloud Security, Cloud Management, Cloud Services, Load Balancing, Service Level Agreement, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Virtual Machines, Process Analysis
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
59K reviews
Intermediate · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Google Cloud
Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Cloud DevOps Engineer
Skills you'll gain: Site Reliability Engineering, Kubernetes, Application Performance Management, Google Cloud Platform, Cloud Infrastructure, System Monitoring, Prompt Engineering, Application Deployment, Identity and Access Management, DevOps, CI/CD, Containerization, Cloud Storage, Cloud Security, Cloud Services, Cloud Management, Service Level Agreement, Safety Culture, Event Monitoring, Culture Transformation
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
54K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Macquarie University
Data Visualization in Excel
Skills you'll gain: Pivot Tables And Charts, Data Storytelling, Data Visualization Software, Interactive Data Visualization, Spreadsheet Software, Dashboard, Microsoft Excel, Excel Macros, Infographics, Data Analysis, Data Manipulation, Forecasting
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
1.2K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
Vanderbilt University
AI Agents and Agentic AI in Python: Powered by Generative AI
Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, ChatGPT, Generative AI Agents, OpenAI, Productivity, Python Programming, Agentic systems, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Generative AI, Artificial Intelligence, Large Language Modeling, Creative Thinking, Ingenuity, Brainstorming, Software Development Tools, Application Development, Prototyping, Persona (User Experience), Business Logic, Automation
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
6K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months