Raw, Cleaned, and Analysis-Ready Datasets

A common mistake in research projects is to treat any exported spreadsheet as the dataset. In practice, a study may have several legitimate data states. The raw export is the dataset as received from the electronic data capture system or external source. The cleaned dataset is the dataset after data quality issues have been resolved according to the study process. The analysis-ready dataset is a structured dataset prepared for a specific statistical or reporting purpose. These states should not be confused.