Common Myths About Data Science

Data science is a unique industry. From an outsider’s perspective, it may appear to be very confusing and impossible to understand, but it isn’t. Much like any other industry, when you take the time to learn about something, step-by-step, you begin to understand the bigger picture. Data science is often misunderstood and misinterpreted. What I’d like to do is to help dispel any of those rumors, myths and misconceptions.

Data Science and Big Data Have Nothing In Common

Nothing could be further from the truth. Big data is a general term for massive amounts of information that can be recorded, analyzed, processed and used for a variety of applications. Data science, in layman’s terms, looks for patterns in complex systems in order to simplify it and make sense. Data scientists need data in order to perform their duties. It is a crucial step in any data scientist’s process.

Data Scientists Simply Collect Data

One of the most common misconceptions about data scientists is that we all just sit around and crunch numbers and collect data. That is incredibly untrue. While collecting data is an aspect of the job, data scientists do far more than just that. As mentioned before, data scientists take that information, analyze it, simplify it, and visualize it. Data scientists are required to analyze, interpret and, most importantly, communicate the data to organizations or businesses. They are an integral part of a company’s decision-making process.

Data Scientists Are Also Developers

It is assumed that just because data scientists are really good with computers, data and technology, they must be skilled developers. It is completely possible that there are several data scientists in the world who are also talented developers, but the two skills are not a package deal. Admittedly, it can certainly help a data scientist to know how to develop, it is by no means a requirement for the job.

Data science, to many, is still too confusing. However, it is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world and as it becomes part of everyday society, its complicated concepts and structure will undoubtedly become easier to understand.