How to Store Data?

Three common options for storage are text files, spreadsheets, and databases.

Text

• Easy to create, work well with version control
• But then we have to build search and analysis tools ourselves

Spreadsheets

• Good for simple analyses
• But don’t handle large or complex data sets well

Databases

database (dā’tə-bās’) noun

“A collection of data arranged for ease and speed of search and retrieval by a computer” - The American Heritage® Science Dictionary

• Include powerful tools for search and analysis
• Can handle large, complex data sets.

Next Steps

Here we go!