Question: Which of the following is the first step in the data preparation process?
A Data validation
B Data coding
C Data editing
D Data tabulation
Answer: Data validation
| Steps in Data Preparation | Description |
| Data Validation | Checking the accuracy, completeness and integrity of the collected data. |
| Data Cleaning | Identifying and correcting errors, inconsistencies and missing values in the dataset. |
| Data Transformation | Converting or reformatting data to prepare it for analysis, such as normalizing or standardizing variables. |
| Data Coding and Labeling | Assigning codes or labels to categorical data for easier analysis and interpretation. |
| Data Aggregation | Combining and summarizing data to create meaningful aggregated statistics. |
| Data Tabulation | Creating tables and summaries for reporting and analysis, often involving aggregating data into categories. |
| Data Documentation | Documenting the data preparation steps and any changes made to the dataset for transparency and reproducibility. |
| Data Export | Saving the cleaned and prepared data in a format suitable for reporting. |