Get data dextrous! Learn the experienced analyst鈥檚 tips and tricks for evaluating data quality, preparing data for analysis, and extracting the real insights.

  • Learn to clean, reshape and prepare data for use.
  • Evaluate a dataset using summary statistics and simple plots.
  • Compare common tools and platforms for working with data.

Designed to support those who are either new to working with data, or would like to revisit core principles, Data Literacy for Beginners combines presentation of real-life examples, discussion activities, and hands on exercises, to help you manage, prepare, analyse and present data for more effective analysis.

Guided by an experienced analyst, this one-day course takes you from real-world messy data to robust insight, using discussions, practical exercises, and a range of standard industry tools to tackle the most common challenges - learning to tame the most bewildering of raw datasets with a systematic approach.

By the end of the course, you'll be able to:

  • Identify common errors in data quality and know how to avoid them
  • Clean, shape and prepare data for use
  • Access data from different sources
  • Describe the principles of good data visualisation
  • Answer questions with data
  • Compare common tools for data analysis, visualisation, and dashboards.

This course is suited for beginner level, provided you have some experience using Excel and knowledge of maths to GCSE level.

Overview

During Data Literacy for Beginners, you'll cover:

  • Introduction to working with data
    • Exploring the difference between data, information, knowledge and insights, and the tools for moving from one to the other
    • Exploratory data analysis
  • Managing data
    • Data quality - common errors and how to avoid them
    • Cleaning, reshaping, and preparing data for use
    • Accessing data from different sources
  • Answering questions with data 
    • Defining the problem to be solved
    • Data storytelling and the corridor pitch
    • Principles of good data visualisation
    • Comparison of common tools for data analysis, visualisation, and dashboards.

Data Literacy for Beginners is a live online course, led by an experienced analyst.

The next course takes place Wednesday 3 March 2027, 10am – 4pm.

Data Literacy for Beginners costs £245 per person.

You must have a personal computer with an internet connection capable of running standard Office software.

Meet the team

This training is designed and delivered by in partnership with 黑料正能量's Short Course Unit. The Data Place is a social enterprise that helps all sorts of organisations and communities use data to supercharge their ambitions.

The Data Place has worked with 黑料正能量 for over two years, providing guest lectures, interview and project feedback and interviews for short course learners, as well as designing industry-led CPD courses that provide real-world experience.

Lucy Knight is an experienced trainer and data scientist with nearly three decades’ experience in industry, government and the non-profit sector. She is an Open Data Institute Associate and Registered Trainer, and Associate Lecturer with 黑料正能量.

The words

Terms and conditions

Read the terms and conditions for taking part in this short course.

Contact us

For more information about the course please email your enquiries to shortcourses@bathspa.ac.uk .