Data Validation: It’s not just a tool or a point in time – it’s everything all the time.

If you watched the first episode of The Relentless Analyst, one of the key takeaways is that data validation isn’t a single point in time, it’s at every point in time. The best analysts are performing some form of validation from the very beginning of the “ask.” I would venture to say that the very best don’t stop validating their data, results, or findings throughout the entire process until delivery.

I thought I would share a few more thoughts on data validation by starting with what does validation means. If you google “define validation” you will find: “the action of checking or proving the validity or accuracy of something.” If you add the word data: then it becomes data validation. Anytime you add the word data to another word, for some, it becomes a mystery. They get stuck at the word data. For some of us, it’s you had me at the word “data.” Either way, there are some very key things you can learn about data validation.