# Analytics is not about Data By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2022-11-01 Let's say that analysis is the process of closely examining something with the intent to understand and that analytics is the professional practice of analysis. Notice these definitions say nothing about data, whether digital, analog, or some other version of the information. Thus, analytics as a profession is not tied to any data definition. Data exists all around us in infinitely many ways and forms. Imagining a world without data is impossible because our brains are just data-processing machines. Without data, they would cease to be useful and never exist in the first place. That said, many analytics professionals only view their job as possible if digital data exists. There are many things problematic with this perspective. Analysis has and will continue to occur with or without digital data. Analytics is not about data any more than carpentry is about trees. It is valuable for carpenters to know the nature, properties, and behavior of trees and their byproducts, but it hardly defines carpentry. Yet, analytics professionals constantly harp on this issue. Something is wrong with the field. The largest offenders of data denial within analytics are those who call themselves Data Scientists. This likely stems from their job title. They believe they are scientists. But they rarely start with a hypothesis and controlled experiments. And, they believe that they only work with data. But they regularly ignore all data that isn't digital and within their current worldview. It's as if their self-selected title is a strategic misdirection commonly seen in stage magic. For example, aren't all scientists working with data? Isn't that the entire point of science? Highlighting these concerns and behaviors only brings the same wrath as revealing a magician's secrets to the audience. Not all data scientists are this way, but it's a common theme I've seen throughout the community. If you are an analytics professional, don't live in data denial. Limiting yourself to a small set of data and worldview hinders your progress and what is possible. Want to be a great analyst? Take on all problems that come your way with broad consideration. Thinking is powerful. Denial is crippling. #### Related Items [[Analytics]] [[Data]] [[Data Science]] [[Perception]] [[Information]] [[Decision-making]]