The greatest number of mistakes and failures in data analysis comes from not performing adequate Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA). Lack of EDA knowledge can expose you to the great risk of drawing incorrect, and potentially harmful, conclusions from your data analysis.In this course, you will learn how EDA helps you draw conclusions to make better sense of your data and implement correct techniques. We'll begin with a brief introduction to EDA, its importance, and advantages over BI tools. Using R libraries like dplyr and ggplot2, we will generate insights and formulate relevant questions for investigation and communicate the results effectively using visualizations. You will learn how to spot missing data and errors, validate assumptions, and identify the patterns for understanding the problem. Based on this, you’ll be able to select a correct ML model to use for your data.By the end of the course, you will be able to quickly get know and interpret various kinds of data sets you will be presented with, and easily understand how to handle and work with them in order to make them ready for further modeling activities.Please note that basic knowledge of R and R Studio, together with some knowledge of descriptive statistics, are key to getting the best out of this course.About the AuthorAndrea Cirillo is currently working as Internal Auditor at Intesa Sanpaolo Banking Group, after gaining financial and external audit experience at Deloitte Touche & Tohmatsu and internal Audit experience at FNM, an Italian listed company. His main current responsibilities involve credit risk management models evaluation and enhancement, mainly within the field of Basel III Capital Agreement.He is married to Francesca and father of Tommaso, Gianna and Zaccaria. Andrea has written and contributed to a number of useful R packages and regularly shares insightful advice and tutorials on R programming.His research and work mainly focuses on the use of R within the risk management and fraud detection fields, mainly through modeling custom algorithms and developing interactive applications.AcknowledgementsThis book is the result of a lot of patience:by my wife and sons, which left me the time to write it, taking it from the time I should have spend with them,by Deepti Thore, my Content Developer Editor at Packt Publishing, which was so clement with me when, and it happened a lot of time, I missed my writing deadlines.By my colleagues which beared me talking about the book every three hours and asking for their opinions about quite every recipe.To all of them I would like to say my 'sincere' thank you.