Exploratory Data Analysis

Chapter 2 is concerned with modern data analysis. It focuses primarily on the nature, role, and importance of exploratory data analysis, although it gives some attention to computer-intensive resampling methods. Exploratory data analysis is a process in which data are examined to reveal potential patterns of interest. However, the use of traditional confirmatory methods in data analysis remains the dominant practice. Different perspectives on data analysis, as they are shaped by four different accounts of scientific method, are provided. A brief discussion of John Tukey’s philosophy of teaching data analysis is presented. The chapter does not consider the more recent exploratory data analytic developments, such as the practice of statistical modeling, the employment of data-mining techniques, and more flexible resampling methods.