How to Learn Data Mining: Best Courses to Utilize Data Collection for Predictive Analytics

Data mining involves analyzing large amounts of data using artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning. 

As a business owner, you must utilize the most efficient and reliable tools to operate your company successfully. Learning about data mining can be especially helpful if your workplace handles large numbers of clientele. 

Learning data mining is not a difficult process, but it does require you to put in time and effort. It is a formidable skill to have if you’re hoping to work for a Fortune 500 company or another large-scale business. Data mining is a great way to increase your chances of getting hired in today’s competitive job market. 

In this guide, you will find resources to help you acquire this skill in the most straightforward way possible. Check out the books, online courses, and resources below to help you get a better sense of what data mining is and how it can benefit your work. 

What Is Data Mining?

Data mining is the process by which raw data is transformed into information that is useful to companies. Businesses utilize special software programs to sift through large data sets looking for patterns and anomalies. The data is then used to make accurate predictions about the future of the company. Data mining is also sometimes referred to as knowledge discovery.

It is an essential process used in research and some fields of science. Data mining is a combination of machine learning, artificial intelligence, statistics, and database technology. Businesses rely on these processes to make predictions and set objectives. 

What Is Data Mining Used For?

Many people are not aware of all the possible applications of data mining. Data mining is part of the day-to-day operations that help businesses develop efficient marketing strategies and new products, and make cost-saving decisions. Below are some of the ways data analysis can help a company achieve success.

• Boosting customer loyalty. Using data mining, a business can easily see how price fluctuations can affect customers’ behavior.

• Planning inventory. Through data mining, a company can track its inventory and product demand each month. Having this information makes it easy for a company to  monitor stock.
• Forecasting sales. Data mining can also be used to predict when a customer will need to replenish their pantry. It can show a company exactly when a customer will need to shop for a particular item. 
• Analyzing the basket. Data analysts can predict customers’ shopping patterns and draw conclusions based on their shopping cart. 
• To detect fraud. Traditional approaches to fraud detection have proven to be ineffective. Through data mining, companies can detect loopholes in their systems to detect and prevent fraud. 
• Improving health care. Researchers use data, statistics, and machine learning to predict medical issues. Caregivers can manage patients using data mining, and can also use it to detect insurance fraud. 
• Segmenting customers. Data mining is essential to helping companies better understand their market. It lets them separate groups of customers and address their needs and wants accurately. 
• Extracting biological data. Data mining is an important tool in bioinformatics. It is used to optimize disease prognosis and treatment, and to conduct research on protein and gene interactions. 

Learning Data Mining

There is a lot of information online regarding how to learn data mining, but it is not easy to narrow down the resources. Often, people sign up for a course that is not right for them and wind up frustrated with the instructors or substandard materials.

Below, you will find the resources you need to learn data mining in a timely fashion from certified instructors. 

How Long Does It Take to Learn Data Mining?

It is difficult to put a timeframe on how long it takes to learn data mining or become a data scientist. Some people will take their time attending courses and reading books, while others might pick up all the necessary skills in a short amount of time. The skills are not difficult to acquire, but there are a few factors that may slow down the process. 

Your schedule, materials, and passion for learning will all affect how long it will take you to grasp data mining basics. If learning data mining is your main priority, you might become an analyst in weeks. But don’t worry if you are working while studying. There is no need to rush your education.

How to Learn Data Mining: Step-by-Step

To learn data mining, just follow the simple steps below.

1. Learn programming languages. You should learn at least one programming language if you want to become a data scientist. 
2.  Read books. Introductory books will help you get a grasp on data mining. After exploring some texts, you’ll be more familiar with the basic principles. 
3.  Watch tutorials. Do not hesitate to click on tutorials you come across online. There is a lot of research being conducted into data mining with and a lot of this information is relayed via online tutorials by scientists and analysts. 
4. Participate in competitions. This is an excellent way to gain knowledge about data mining. It will help you measure your skills and obtain new ones.
5. Network. Interacting with other people in the field of data mining will open you up to new opportunities. By networking, you can learn from seasoned data analysts and even potentially land a new job. 

The Best Data Mining Courses and Training

Learning data mining is the best decision to increase their career prospects or augment their business. Do not be worried if there are available options to suit your needs. 

This particular skill is offered online, in-person, and in group sessions. You can opt to read the available books, sign up for an online class or training session. Below is a list of the available data mining learning materials.

Best Online Data Mining Courses

Online data mining courses are a good choice, especially if your schedule is not flexible. You do not have to bother attending a class in-person when there are already reliable and straightforward courses online. 

Below are some of the best data mining courses you can find online.

Data Science A-Z: Real-Life Data Science Exercises Included

• Provider: Udemy
• Time: 1 day
• Prerequisites: None

Signing up for this data mining course at Udemy will give you a better understanding of logistic regression, data preparation, and how to handle data sets. The course will also equip you with information on how to operate with false positives and false negatives. This is an excellent route for aspiring data scientists.

Data Manipulation with R

• Provider: Datacamp
• Time: 28 lectures
• Prerequisites: None

This course will bring you up to speed on data manipulation. You will learn exactly how to extract, filter, and transform your data for analysis. This course is great if you want to learn about real-time data handling.

Data Mining Specialization

• Provider: Coursera
• Time: 8 months
• Prerequisites: None

This Coursera course will teach you the correct techniques to use when mining both structured and unstructured data. You will also learn more about text mining and analytics, data warehousing, decision trees, data declustering algorithms, data visualization, and Tableau software. 

This class is a great choice for anyone who already has some relevant experience in data mining. According to Coursera, 50 percent of students start a new career or receive a promotion after completing this course.

Big Data and Education

• Provider: EdX
• Time: 8 weeks
• Prerequisites: None
• Cost: $169

Massive open online course provider EdX is well known for the versatility of courses it offers to the general public. This particular course teaches critical methods used in data mining and analytics and how big data relates to education. Each week, you are expected to complete between six and 12 hours of study.

Harvard Business Analytics Program

• Provider: Havard
• Time: 10 weeks
• Prerequisites: None

This course is aimed at industry leaders and others who are interested in adding value to the organization they work for. Students will learn about data algorithms, AI, machine learning, neural networks, and data structures. You will also learn how to interpret your findings to answer pertinent business questions. 

SQL Server Analysis Services- SSAS, Data Mining, And Analytics

• Provider: Udemy
• Time: 78 lectures
• Prerequisites: None
• Cost: $10.99

This is an excellent course if you’re looking to learn how to develop SSAS cubes from a data warehouse using different modes and models. This course teaches about SQL, how to develop SSRS reports and databases, and debug software. 

Best Free Online Data Mining Courses

There is nothing better than learning new skills without having to save up for months to attend a university course. Many websites can help you realize your dreams of becoming a data scientist or analyst for free. Below are some of the best free data mining courses online. 

Data Science Essentials

• Provider: Microsoft
• Time: 4 weeks
• Prerequisites: Knowledge of Python and R

In this Microsoft course, you will get to learn about data exploration, visualization, machine learning, probability, and statistics. If you would like an official certificate at the end, you will be required to pay $90.

Data-Driven Decision Making

• Provider: PwC
• Time: 4 weeks
• Prerequisites: None

PwC provides this course to help businesses deal with modern data challenges. In it, students are taught to utilize the correct tools and frameworks to solve data problems.

Data Science Fundamentals

• Provider: IBM
• Time: 20 hours
• Prerequisites: None

This is a thorough introduction to the world of data for beginners. In it, you will learn about data science, methodology, programming applications, and open-source tools. 

Best Data Mining Books

Reading books is an excellent way to learn about the scope of data mining. There are countless texts on the topic, but we have chosen a few of the must-reads.

Introduction to Data Mining

Tan, Steinbach, and Kumar have written this book outlining the main topics of data mining. In it, you will learn about classification, clustering, outlier detection, and pattern mining. This resource takes a theoretical and practical approach to data mining topics.

Data Science for Business: What You Need To Know About Data Mining and Data Analytical Thinking

Provost and Fawcett wrote this book to help data newcomers learn about the principles and theory of data science. It will fill you in on how to use analytical thinking to solve various data problems using the appropriate techniques. 

Big Data, Data Mining, and Machine Learning: Value Creation for Business Leaders and Practitioners

Jared Dean looks at big data and its advantage from the viewpoint of a marketing professional. In this book, you will learn about big data, high-performance computing architectures for analytics, MPP, and in-memory databases. 

Should You Study Data Mining?

There is no doubt that data mining will be instrumental to the future of successful business practices. Analyzing data has become an integral way of ensuring growth for any business.

People with data mining knowledge are in high demand. Businesses need certified data professionals to help them make sense of huge quantities of data. On average, a data mining analyst can earn $60,000 with only minimal experience. 

By studying data mining, you will develop problem-solving skills and analytical skills that you can use in your daily life. So, consider signing up for a data mining course today to take advantage of this rising career path.