analytics-data-analysis

Rylai Analytics Implementation

Build analysis that another person can rerun and audit.

Define The Contract

Capture the following before choosing methods:

• decision or question the analysis must support;
• input files, tables, date range, units, and grain;
• metric definitions and inclusion rules;
• expected deliverable: script, notebook, chart set, table, or report;
• runtime limits, privacy constraints, and required output path.

Inspect the real input before assuming its schema.

Implementation Workflow

1. Inventory

   • Record source names, sizes, columns, types, row counts, and keys.
   • Detect encoding, delimiter, duplicate-key, timezone, and locale issues.

2. Validate

   • Check missingness, ranges, uniqueness, referential integrity, and impossible values.
   • Separate source defects from intentional filtering.
   • Stop or quarantine records when a defect would invalidate the result.

3. Transform

   • Keep raw input unchanged.
   • Make cleaning steps explicit and deterministic.
   • Preserve units and document joins, filters, imputations, and derived fields.

4. Analyze

   • Start with counts and distributions.
   • Choose statistical methods that match variable type, sample design, and question.
   • Report effect size or practical magnitude when significance tests are used.
   • Test important assumptions and provide a fallback when they fail.

5. Visualize

   • Select a chart based on the comparison, trend, distribution, or relationship.
   • Label units, time windows, filters, and sample sizes.
   • Avoid visual encodings that exaggerate small differences.

6. Package

   • Keep configuration and paths separate from analysis logic.
   • Use stable output names and create parent directories deliberately.
   • Include a concise run command and dependency information when code is delivered.

7. Verify

   • Run the analysis from a clean start.
   • Reconcile important totals against the source.
   • Inspect generated tables and charts, not only exit codes.