Do Data Analysts Code? (We Find Out)

In the earlier days, when there were fewer inventories, there were fewer complications. Simple tools were sufficient to manage important data. Then, with the introduction of fields like data analytics and data science, simple tools were no more adequate, and discovery after discovery, coding was introduced. Through coding, people now instruct computers to perform desired tasks.

And people usually wonder, Do data analysts code?

The answer is no; they don’t. Data Analysts are not expected to code as part of their daily duties. As a general rule, simple data analysis functions such as analyzing Google Analytics data trends do not require writing code.

The development of big data has introduced a layer of technological complexity to the Data Analyst’s position, making coding far more possible.

What is data analytics?

The study of processing actual data to draw hypotheses about it is known as data analytics. 

Data analytics is a general term that refers to a number of data analysis techniques. Data analytics methods can be applied to any sort of data to gain knowledge which can be used to make things better.

Data analytics strategies can expose patterns and indicators that would otherwise be lost in the mass of knowledge. This knowledge can then be used to refine processes to maximize the overall performance of a company or system.

Manufacturing firms, for example, often monitor the runtime, downtime, and job queue for different machines, then analyze the data to better schedule workloads such that the machines work at relatively close ability.

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How to code data?

The process of translating collected data or findings into a collection of coherent, unified categories is referred to as data coding

Data coding is the method of summarizing and representing data to offer a comprehensive description of the phenomenon reported or observed. Codes are ideas that connect data to theory.

Let’s dive into how you can code data manually:

  1. You will first have to decide if you want to do deductive coding or inductive coding.
  2. Once you have that in mind look over the data to get a picture of how it appears.
  3. To code as much as necessary, get into your data point by point. At this level, your codes should be much more comprehensive.
  4. Sort your codes into categories to examine how they blend into your coding framework.
  5. Recognize the most popular trends and take action on them.

Do data analysts code and how coding is required for data analytics?

Data analysis was not a difficult task before the introduction of big data. With the increase in complexity of data, Data Analysts are needed to be more specific and professional. They should acquire good communication abilities because they had to interact with different organizations to convey information that they had extracted from the data. But for this communication, they are not required to be coding experts. Rather, their work is more dependent upon analytics software.

A Data Analyst is like the narrator of truth as he exposes the insights of any data. This narration is in the form of reports, sales, etc. And this purpose can be achieved without writing any code.

There are some Data Analysts who do use coding in their routine tasks but generally, it is not required. Even if someone feels the need for coding in data analysis, then a basic understanding of coding is enough for the benefit of the company. This basic understanding can be used in R or Tableau but it is easy to study, execute and use. Usually, coding is related to data science where advanced coding skills are necessary for better outcomes.

Can you be a data analyst without knowing coding?

To begin, the answer to this query is yes. Learning SQL and a little R and Python are appropriate next steps if you want to be genuinely in analytics and not just someone who pulls data, constructs visualization in Tableau, and puts together a few observational key points. Scripting makes our analytics job a lot simpler. The more you know, the more easily you can complete your tasks.

Extensive coding skills are not necessary for data analysts. Alternatively, they should have previous experience with data mining, data visualization, and data management applications. Data analysts, like most other data-related jobs, need strong math skills. They must also be well-versed in science, programming, and predictive analytics.

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The next point of discussion is what do data analysts do. Before digging into that, let me add below some of the top related and interesting articles that can add to what you’re learning from this one. If any of the titles picks your interest, please click and open in a new tab, so you can check them out later. Enjoy!

What do data analysts actually do?

Data analysts collect and organize data to arrive at concrete results in all sectors. Data analysts can help an organization better understand its consumers by providing useful insights.

  • The primary responsibility of a data analyst is to scan and analyze data. They provide explanations, reports, and visualizations to demonstrate data insights. Data analysts apply their skills to help employees around the organization visualize data.
  • A data analyst interprets data sets and analyses trends and patterns that are useful for diagnostic and predictive analytics using statistical methods.
  • To work as a data analyst, you’ll need to know how to collect and analyze data using SQL and business intelligence tools. To keep metrics dashboards up to date, you’ll need to be a professional in programs like Excel and Tableau.

Analysts have existed since before big data, which explains why data analyst positions are distinct and well-defined. They must be effective communicators because they deal with multiple departments and must be able to communicate their results using strong presentation and visualization skills. Data analysts generally have expertise in analytics applications, data visualization, and data processing systems rather than specialist coding skills.

Conclusion

As per the above discussion, we have seen what data analysts actually do, and hence it is obvious that coding is not really required when it comes to data analysis. Besides, the process of coding is comparatively more difficult than using data analyst tools.

Although coding is not essential for proper data analysis, we can still find such Data Analysts who have proficiency in Python, etc. With the introduction of big data, analysis has become complicated. In coming years, one may expect the proper introduction of coding in Data Analysis for handling complex data. But for now, if you are a Data Analyst with excellent command of analytics software, data management, data visualization, and basic knowledge of coding, it is sufficient for your success and the success of your organization.

References

Emidio Amadebai

As an IT Engineer, who is passionate about learning and sharing. I have worked and learned quite a bit from Data Engineers, Data Analysts, Business Analysts, and Key Decision Makers almost for the past 5 years. Interested in learning more about Data Science and How to leverage it for better decision-making in my business and hopefully help you do the same in yours.

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