The process of examining, cleaning, and drawing conclusions from information to answer research questions is called what?

• A. Data Analysis
• B. Data Collection
• C. Data Presentation
• D. Data Interpretation

Answer: (A)

Data analysis is the process of examining information, cleaning it to fix errors and remove noise, and then using what you find to draw conclusions that answer your research questions. This sequence—inspect, clean, and conclude—is exactly what data analysis encompasses, linking raw data to informed answers. Data collection is only about gathering data, not refining it. Data presentation focuses on showing the results, not the necessary steps of cleaning and analyzing. Data interpretation comes after analysis, involving understanding what the results mean, but it typically follows the actual analysis stage.