Which term describes the initial set of data as collected, prior to any cleaning or processing steps?

Which term describes the initial set of data as collected, prior to any cleaning or processing steps?

• A. Clean data
• B. Derived data
• C. Raw data
• D. Processed data

Answer: (C)

The initial data collected before any cleaning or processing is called raw data. It represents the unaltered observations as they came from the source, which is why it often contains errors, gaps, and inconsistencies that need to be addressed in later steps. Clean data is what you call data after you’ve fixed those issues and made it ready for analysis. Processed data has already undergone transformations or calculations, turning it into a form suited for specific tasks. Derived data is created by applying rules or computations to existing data to generate new values. So raw data is the starting point, before any cleaning or processing.

The initial data collected before any cleaning or processing is called raw data. It represents the unaltered observations as they came from the source, which is why it often contains errors, gaps, and inconsistencies that need to be addressed in later steps. Clean data is what you call data after you’ve fixed those issues and made it ready for analysis. Processed data has already undergone transformations or calculations, turning it into a form suited for specific tasks. Derived data is created by applying rules or computations to existing data to generate new values. So raw data is the starting point, before any cleaning or processing.