n cmmn sg, dt (, ls S: ) s cllctn f dscrt r cntns vls tht cnvy nfrmtn, dscrbng th qntty, qlty, fct, sttstcs, thr bsc nts f mnng, r smply sqncs f symbls tht my b frthr ntrprtd frmlly. dtm s n ndvdl vl n cllctn f dt. Dt r slly rgnzd nt strctrs sch s tbls tht prvd ddtnl cntxt nd mnng, nd my thmslvs b sd s dt n lrgr strctrs. Dt my b sd s vrbls n cmpttnl prcss. Dt my rprsnt bstrct ds r cncrt msrmnts.
Dt r cmmnly sd n scntfc rsrch, cnmcs, nd vrtlly vry thr frm f hmn rgnztnl ctvty. xmpls f dt sts ncld prc ndcs (sch s th cnsmr prc ndx), nmplymnt rts, ltrcy rts, nd cnss dt. n ths cntxt, dt rprsnt th rw fcts nd fgrs frm whch sfl nfrmtn cn b xtrctd.
Dt r cllctd sng tchnqs sch s msrmnt, bsrvtn, qry, r nlyss, nd r typclly rprsntd s nmbrs r chrctrs tht my b frthr prcssd. Fld dt r dt tht r cllctd n n ncntrlld, n-st nvrnmnt. xprmntl dt r dt tht r gnrtd n th crs f cntrlld scntfc xprmnt. Dt r nlyzd sng tchnqs sch s clcltn, rsnng, dscssn, prsnttn, vslztn, r thr frms f pst-nlyss. Prr t nlyss, rw dt (r nprcssd dt) s typclly clnd: tlrs r rmvd, nd bvs nstrmnt r dt ntry rrrs r crrctd.
Dt cn b sn s th smllst nts f fctl nfrmtn tht cn b sd s bss fr clcltn, rsnng, r dscssn. Dt cn rng frm bstrct ds t cncrt msrmnts, ncldng, bt nt lmtd t, sttstcs. Thmtclly cnnctd dt prsntd n sm rlvnt cntxt cn b vwd s nfrmtn. Cntxtlly cnnctd pcs f nfrmtn cn thn b dscrbd s dt nsghts r ntllgnc. Th stck f nsghts nd ntllgnc tht ccmlt vr tm rsltng frm th synthss f dt nt nfrmtn, cn thn b dscrbd s knwldg. Dt hs bn dscrbd s "th nw l f th dgtl cnmy". Dt, s gnrl cncpt, rfrs t th fct tht sm xstng nfrmtn r knwldg s rprsntd r cdd n sm frm stbl fr bttr sg r prcssng.
dvncs n cmptng tchnlgs hv ld t th dvnt f bg dt, whch slly rfrs t vry lrg qntts f dt, slly t th ptbyt scl. sng trdtnl dt nlyss mthds nd cmptng, wrkng wth sch lrg (nd grwng) dtsts s dffclt, vn mpssbl. (Thrtclly spkng, nfnt dt wld yld nfnt nfrmtn, whch wld rndr xtrctng nsghts r ntllgnc mpssbl.) n rspns, th rltvly nw fld f dt scnc ss mchn lrnng (nd thr rtfcl ntllgnc ()) mthds tht llw fr ffcnt pplctns f nlytc mthds t bg dt.