Saman Siadati

In statistics, exploratory data analysis is an approach to analyzing data sets to summarize their main characteristics, often with visual methods. A statistical model can be used or not, but primarily EDA is for seeing what the data can tell us beyond the formal modeling or hypothesis testing task. In this project, I did an analysis of the " World University Rankings" data. The Times Higher Education World University Ranking is widely regarded as one of the most influential and widely observed university measures. Founded in the United Kingdom in 2010, it has been criticized for its commercialization and for undermining non-English-instructing institutions. The Academic Ranking of World Universities, also known as the Shanghai Ranking, is an equally influential ranking. It was founded in China in 2003 and has been criticized for focusing on raw research power and for undermining humanities and quality of instruction. How do these rankings compare to each other? Are th...

EDA is not identical to statistical graphics although the two terms are used almost interchangeably. Statistical graphics is a collection of techniques--all graphically based and all focusing on one data characterization aspect. EDA encompasses a larger venue; EDA is an approach to data analysis that postpones the usual assumptions about what kind of model the data follow with the more direct approach of allowing the data itself to reveal its underlying structure and model. EDA is not a mere collection of techniques; EDA is a philosophy as to how we dissect a data set; what we look for; how we look; and how we interpret. It is true that EDA heavily uses the collection of techniques that we call "statistical graphics", but it is not identical to statistical graphics per se. Most EDA techniques are graphical in nature with a few quantitative techniques. The reason for the heavy reliance on graphics is that by its very nature the main role of EDA is to open-mindedly ...