The Data You Know

We’re all told when building a new relationship that “Transparency is Key.” And of course, when compiling new data, this also applies. But in an age of oversharing, the things we choose not to share are as defining as the things we do - and omitting certain elements from your data’s story doesn’t necessarily yield a negative outcome.

I’m here to tell you a few reasons why narrowing in on a specific set of elements within a larger context can produce conclusions with your data that are complete in and of themselves. More importantly, I’m here to provide you with the main steps that will help you determine how to choose the right focus for your project.

There’s Always Missing Data

Nobody enjoys the frustration of opening a new spreadsheet, only to be hit with blank cells where figures should be. Missing data is inevitable, even before we choose to omit any elements. Regardless of whether we choose to narrow our focus or are forced to because of missing data, we’re similarly required to make a full story out of a segment of the entire picture. But how do you reformat your vantage point to view a small slice of story as complete?

You Change Your Scope.

If done correctly, a study that dives deep into the implications of one small variable can yield just as valid conclusions as a study takes every possible factor of an issue into account. The only difference lies in the type of story that’s being told. And choosing which story to tell depends on what questions you want to answer. In other words, is your ultimate goal to forecast the profit your company will have next year based on every possible known factor? Or are you more interested in how one particular factor - market performance let’s say - affects the story of your company’s profits?

Both approaches can teach you a lot about your environment and inform your course of action. Sometimes the whole objective of a study is to make one clear statement about the future. Other times, the story zeroes in on one particular influence that got you there.

But how can you reliably separate the different stories your data could potentially tell?

You Clearly Define The Rules.

You can’t control the way that others interpret your study’s conclusions. But you can provide them with clear guidelines as to what your study both covers and does not cover. You define the parameters of your truth. And by being candid about what you will and will not share, you are guiding your audience towards the purpose of your story. If either you or they decide to focus on context outside the parameters, they can expect to veer from the intended results of the study. If a question raised sheds light on a variable you chose not to incorporate initially, you can address said question by adding that variable back into your study and making it part of the story. But until an omitted variable presents a compelling case for its relevance, leaving it out of your story is not a crime.

However, you simultaneously need to be prepared for the fact that others might find relevance in context that you yourself have deemed irrelevant. In my opinion, the beauty of data analysis lies in the inevitable differences between people’s interpretations. But beauty can become in some instances deadly to your argument, or at least cause some uncomfortable tension between key parties with a stake in the game. How, in these instances can you protect yourself?

You Prepare The Perfect Defense.

Pray you never have to explain the decisions you made about which elements of your data set to include and omit. Hopefully, your results are profound enough to justify themselves to everyone important. But even in this best case scenario, you should still know very clearly for your own sanity why you chose to include certain information in your analysis and forgo others. Why? Because beyond the benefit of self-awareness, a thorough understanding of your reasoning will strengthen the impact of your story. If you believe you found the optimal amount of variables necessary for your story to develop, others can disagree, but they’ll respect a confident defense.