Whereas data analysis was once considered synonymous with statistics, a broader view is emerging in educational psychology. In their presient work, Tukey and Wilk (1966/1986) articulated such a broad view, one we adopt for this chapter: "[T]he science and art of data analysis concerns the process of learning from ...records of experience" (p. 554). Although Tukey and Wilk wrote about their own quantitative analysis, the definition seems equally appropriate for qualitative work. Good data analysis, regardless of the approach, is a mixture of science and art. Data analysis employs creativity in search of meaning, intelligibility, and pattern while rooted in systematic methods that emphasize open-mindedness and public scrutiny. Regardless of the theoretical emphasis, data analysis seeks revelation --the unveiling of the world around us.
The CAUSE Research Group is supported in part by a member initiative grant from the American Statistical Association’s Section on Statistics and Data Science Education