Auditing an organization's databases, spreadsheets, file servers, and records repositories for information to use in data analysis is an example of ________.

• A. Data Preparation
• B. Data Understanding
• C. Modeling
• D. Deployment

Answer: (B)

Understanding what data exists, where it is stored, and how reliable it is for analysis is being tested. Auditing databases, spreadsheets, file servers, and records repositories to identify information you can analyze is all about mapping the data landscape—cataloging sources, understanding data formats and schemas, and assessing quality, completeness, and accessibility. This helps you know what data is available, how it can be used, and what cleaning or transformation might be needed later. It sits before actual data preparation, which involves cleaning and shaping the data for modelling, and before modeling or deployment, which apply techniques or put results into production. By auditing these data sources, you’re establishing a solid picture of the data assets you’ll work with.