Types of Data: Structured vs Unstructured
Not all data looks the same — and how it's shaped will directly affect how you work with it.
Before you analyze anything, one of the first questions to ask is:
What type of data am I working with?
Some data is highly organized and easy to sort. Other data is messy, free-form, or deeply contextual.
They require different tools, storage systems, and processing techniques.
Why It Matters
Imagine trying to search inside a spreadsheet — it’s simple.
Now imagine trying to search for trends in 10,000 customer reviews or hours of video.
Those are completely different challenges.
As a data analyst, you’ll often need to:
- Choose the right format to store or query data
- Understand what cleaning steps are needed
- Select tools based on the data structure
Recognizing whether your data is structured or unstructured helps you think ahead, avoid pitfalls, and select the right approach.
Up Next
In the slide deck, we’ll look at clear visual examples of each type of data, how they’re stored, and where they show up in the real world.
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