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

The University of Sydney
Using clinical health data for better healthcare
Skills you'll gain: Health Technology, Health Informatics, Telehealth, Health Care, Health Systems, Patient Education and Support, Health Information Management, Data Quality, Clinical Data Management, Electronic Medical Record, Digital Communications, Data Governance, Data Analysis, Data Integrity, Digital Transformation
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
115 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Coursera Project Network
Python for Data Analysis: Pandas & NumPy
Skills you'll gain: Pandas (Python Package), NumPy, Data Analysis, Data Science, Python Programming, Data Structures, Data Manipulation, Computer Programming
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
338 reviews
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Edureka
Fundamentals of Data Governance
Skills you'll gain: Data Governance, Data Management, Information Management, Metadata Management, Data Strategy, Governance, Data Integrity, Regulatory Requirements, Compliance Management, Data Quality, Data Security, Cloud Solutions, Cloud Security
4.3
Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
45 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
DeepLearning.AI
Data Modeling, Transformation, and Serving
Skills you'll gain: Data Modeling, Data Transformation, Data Processing, Data Warehousing, Apache Hadoop, Data Integration, Extract, Transform, Load, Data Pipelines, Apache Spark, Data Manipulation, Star Schema, Applied Machine Learning, Real Time Data, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
71 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of Alberta
Reinforcement Learning
Skills you'll gain: Reinforcement Learning, Machine Learning, Sampling (Statistics), Machine Learning Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Simulations, Solution Architecture, Feature Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Markov Model, Supervised Learning, Algorithms, Performance Testing, Artificial Neural Networks, Pseudocode, Linear Algebra, Probability Distribution, Debugging
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
3.5K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Generative AI and LLMs: Architecture and Data Preparation
Skills you'll gain: Large Language Modeling, Generative AI, PyTorch (Machine Learning Library), Text Mining, Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Artificial Neural Networks, Data Processing
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
205 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of California, Santa Cruz
C and Go: Classical and Modern Programming
Skills you'll gain: Go (Programming Language), Debugging, C (Programming Language), Data Structures, C++ (Programming Language), Object Oriented Design, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Code Review, Programming Principles, Computer Programming, Unit Testing, Algorithms, Command-Line Interface, Program Development, Integrated Development Environments, Software Testing, Computer Science, Computational Thinking, File Management, Integration Testing
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
7.1K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Colorado System
Data Warehouse Concepts, Design, and Data Integration
Skills you'll gain: Data Warehousing, Database Design, Data Integration, Extract, Transform, Load, Data Modeling, Star Schema, Relational Databases, Snowflake Schema, Data Architecture, Business Intelligence, SQL, Pivot Tables And Charts, Data Mart, PostgreSQL, Data Transformation, Data Quality
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
1K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
SQL: A Practical Introduction for Querying Databases
Skills you'll gain: SQL, Relational Databases, Microsoft SQL Servers, MySQL, Query Languages, Database Systems, Databases, Database Management, Stored Procedure, IBM DB2, Data Manipulation, Data Analysis, Transaction Processing
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
594 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
DeepLearning.AI
Natural Language Processing with Classification and Vector Spaces
Skills you'll gain: Natural Language Processing, Supervised Learning, Dimensionality Reduction, Feature Engineering, Machine Learning Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, Tensorflow, Linear Algebra, Probability & Statistics
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of Michigan
Using Databases with Python
Skills you'll gain: Relational Databases, Database Design, SQL, Databases, Web Scraping, Data Modeling, Database Management, Data Visualization Software, Object-Relational Mapping, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Data Processing, Python Programming, Application Programming Interface (API)
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
21K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Michigan
Python Basics
Skills you'll gain: Debugging, Programming Principles, Python Programming, Data Structures, Scripting Languages, Computer Programming, Pseudocode, Computer Graphics
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
18K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks