Tidy Data

Tidy Data

Tidy data is a way of organizing data so that each row represents one observation and each column represents one variable. Tidy data makes it easier to explore, visualize, and model data.

Most data analysis tools in R work best when data are in a tidy format.

The Three Rules of Tidy Data

A dataset is considered tidy when:

  1. Each variable has its own column.

  2. Each observation has its own row.

  3. Each value has its own cell.

Following these rules helps keep data organized and consistent.

Example of Tidy Data

student

grade

hours_studied

test_score

Alex

Freshman

4

78

Jordan

Senior

7

91

Casey

Sophomore

2

68

In this table:

  • Each row is one student (an observation).

  • Each column is one variable.

  • Each cell contains a single value.

This is an example of tidy data.


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