Answering Interesting Questions with Data

There is a huge amount of raw data available on the internet with endless potential. This four-week course from the University of Michigan will help you learn how to read data in different formats and write programs to scrape data from the internet. Once you complete this course, you’ll be empowered with the ability to use data to answer high-level and interesting questions. An essential component of data collection and analysis is the ability to store and manage the data effectively once you’ve retrieved it. You’ll learn how to use SQL to manage data in relational databases in order to create linked datasets and gain insight into the relationships and meaning that can be derived from your data. Data is a powerful tool, but its potential can only be unleashed once it is converted and represented as logical information. This process is referred to as data visualization, and it is key to understanding and analyzing data. You’ll be taught to use charts, scatter plots, graphs, and other mediums in order to transform your data into valuable information that can be used to answer interesting questions. This course is designed for learners who are interested in extending their Python knowledge, learning a textual programming language, or who would like to be able to communicate with programmers in a professional setting.

• Week 1: HTML and Beautiful Soup
• Week 2: XML, JSON, and APIs
• Week 3: Databases and SQL
• Week 4: More Databases and Visualizing Data