9 Pitfalls of Data Science

Data science is increasingly important, but the analysis can be haphazard. The 9 Pitfalls of Data Science provides real-world examples of mistakes and how they have led to disasters, such as the Great Recession. Scientific rigor and critical thinking skills are essential in this age of Big Data, as machines can find meaningless patterns that can lead to false conclusions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 08 July 2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Data science has never had more influence on the world, with large companies now seeing the benefit of employing data scientists to interpret the vast amounts of data that now exist. However, the field is so new and evolving so rapidly that the analysis produced can be haphazard at best. The 9 Pitfalls of Data Science, written to be an entertaining read, investigates the all-too-common mistakes of data scientists, who can be plagued by lazy thinking, whims, hunches, and prejudices, and indicates how they have been at the root of many disasters, including the Great Recession. Gary Smith and Jay Cordes emphasize how scientific rigor and critical thinking skills are indispensable in this age of Big Data, as machines often find meaningless patterns that can lead to dangerous false conclusions. The 9 Pitfalls of Data Science is loaded with entertaining tales of both successful and misguided approaches to interpreting data, both grand successes and epic failures. These cautionary tales will not only help data scientists be more effective, but also help the public distinguish between good and bad data science.

Weight: 424g
Dimension: 198 x 137 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198844396