Big data is a major component in the tech industry, thanks to the actionable results businesses obtain. However, such data sets require understanding and proper tools to uncover the right information. To better understand big data, data science, and data analytics, both fields have gone from large academia rather than becoming an integral business intelligence element.
However, it isn’t easy to differentiate between data analytics and data science. Though they are interconnected, they give different results and follow different approaches. If you want to study your business data, it is important to grasp what they bring to the table and how both are unique. To optimize your big data analytics, examine the main differences between data science and data analytics.
What is Data Science?
Data science is a versatile field focused on determining actionable insights from large raw and structured data sets. This field primarily directs on unearthing answers to what you don’t know. Data science professionals use different techniques to get answers, incorporating computer science, statistics, predictive analytics, and machine learning to determine through massive datasets.
The main goals of data scientists are to ask queries and find potential avenues of study with minimum concern about specific concerns. Experts accomplish this by forecasting possible trends and exploring disconnected data sources.
What is the Meaning of Data Analytics?
Data analytics concentrates on performing statistical analysis on existing datasets. Analysts focus on making processes to store, process, and organize data to uncover actionable results for current problems. More simply, the data analytics field directs toward solving problems to which we don’t know the answers. More importantly, it produces results that can lead to immediate improvements.
Difference Between Data Science and Data Analytics
The following are some main differences between data science and data analytics:
Goal-Based Differences
The basic distinctions in both add to their fundamental objectives. Analytics is inclined towards understanding the business-oriented data to obtain insights that you can turn into action. Whereas data science is tuned toward finding answers to suitable business queries that were not addressed before.
Data analysis focuses on answering questions for improved decision-making in businesses. It uses available data for unearthing actionable results. On the other hand, data science focuses on finding new questions that have come up till now and their answers too.
Usage-Based Differences
Data analytics focuses on putting historical data into context, whereas data science emphasizes machine learning and predictive modeling. It is a multidisciplinary process covering algorithms alike. Both data analytics and science need data tapping through diverse methods. Data scientists usually deal with raw data and use a fusion of mathematical, statistical, and machine-learning methods for processing and interpreting data to get results.
They tailor advanced methods for data modeling with models, ML-based algorithms, prototypes, and custom analysis. Data analysts study datasets for picking trends and conclusions and collect large volumes of data for organizing and analyzing the same. They recognize relevant patterns and present findings through suitable visualization, like graphs and charts. Data Science uses C++, Python, Java, and Perl as common languages, but data analytics needs knowledge of R and Python.
Skill-Based Differences
Another difference between data science and data analytics is their skill requirements. Here are some skills needed for data analytics:
- Excel, SQL database
- Intermediate statistics
- BI tools such as Power BI for reporting purposes
- A Hadoop-based analysis is used to get conclusions from unstructured data
- Skills in databases, statistics, modeling, and predictive analytics are beneficial for aspiring data analysts
Skills needed for data science include:
- Mathematics
- Advanced Statistics
- Predictive modeling
- Machine learning
- In-depth knowledge of programming
- Data Visualization with QlikView, D3.js, Tableau, and other tools
- SQL, NoSQL databases such as MongoDB and Cassandra
- Programming languages like R, Scala, and Python
Differences Between Data Science and Data Analytics Using an Example
Data analytics focuses mainly on intermediate statistics and excellence in problem-solving skills. Here are some the examples of using data analytics:
- Improving the medical care quality through electronic health record systems and digitized healthcare system
- Stopping cybercriminals in their tracks by strengthening the detection of threats
- Developing reasonable products warranties
Data science mainly focuses on machine learning, advanced statistics, mathematics, programming, and predictive modeling. Here are some examples of channeling data science in business expansion:
- In the manufacturing field, by forecasting the product demand
- To optimize the supply chain in the field of logistics
Which Career is Right for you?
Data analysts and data scientists both job titles are deceptively similar, given the differences in responsibilities, educational requirements, or career trajectory. However, once you consider factors like your personal interests, background, and expected salary, you can decide the right career for you and move on to your path to success.
