Introduction

Abstract

The traditional process of data analysis included the very important stage of data collection. An analyst (e.g., a statistician) used the available domain knowledge to select the variables to be collected. The number of variables selected was usually small and the collection of their values could be done manually (e.g., utilizing hand-written records or oral interviews). In the case of computer-aided analysis, the analyst had to enter the collected data into a statistical computer package or an electronic spreadsheet. Due to the high cost of data collection, people learned to make decisions based on limited information.