Ever since rapid digitalization has conquered most industrial and business firms, data flow has also rapidly increased with huge amounts of data being generated daily pressurizing these sectors to filter out the essential data out of the lot to gather relevant information and utilize quality data models for product management and service development. The key task in data management consists of pre-processing raw data models, evaluating them to put them in use along with visualization and effective data communication which all are being conducted through data science methodologies. Thus, data science is a discipline that leads to advanced analytical practices with step-by-step procedures to handle data structures. So, professionals and most importantly new learners and beginners must be acquainted with such procedures to build a career in this discipline. Thus, the data science handbook aids in guiding candidates through some critical data analytical methodologies and how one can apply data analytical tools to solve data-oriented problem models.
In this article, we will highlight some important and popular data science and analytics handbooks across the globe and look into their essential features and content.
What is a Data Science Handbook? Top Features and Content of the Book-
A Data Science Handbook is a comprehensive and compact manual with a compilation of essential data science methodologies and practices offering a sort of technical guidance to data science learning and its real-world applications allowing an overview of analytics, programming modules, algorithms, and business-oriented skills to master data science practices.
A data science learning handbook typically consists of a table of contents mentioning all the curriculum and modules it contains along with each specific chapter on fundamental data science concepts like machine learning practices, programming languages, tableau, power BI, and other processes.
A data science learning handbook then consists of the roadmap including framing the data science problem and hypothetical questions.
Such basic questions are followed by some essential data methodologies with explanations that can be applied to find a solution to such problem questions based on data wrangling, data evaluation, data mining, exploration through exploratory data analysis, data modeling, iterating, coding and algorithm deployment, and more.
It also contains some real-world scenarios and practice questions based on such practices with solution modules that help users to understand how data science practices are applied starting from identifying and defining the research question, choosing designs and procedures, to recognizing different sources, creating analytical plan along with statistical analytics report drafting and many more.
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How Data Science Handbooks Are Useful for Data Learning Aspirants?
A Data Science handbook is a compiled guidance manual for candidates having no prior knowledge in data science learning thereby providing a detailed step-by-step module analysis and the process for diagnosing a critical data analysis problem with easy language and effective presentation.
Thus, beginners who want to establish themselves as certified data scientist data professional, data analysts, or any other job role can easily go through such handbook models without facing many constraints in understanding the process and methodology of data science application in solving data-based problems.
It covers an interactive Python programming curriculum that one can come across through Python course programs consisting of functions, essential course commands, shortcuts techniques, debugging methodologies for data science project work, NumPy and Pandas curriculum where one can learn about the Python data variables, and types, arrays, strings, algorithms, functions, indexing techniques, aggregations modules, broadcasting methods, slicing techniques, computation with pivot tables, time series, data frames and much more.
Such a handbook is a one-stop data science learning and guidance destination with in-depth and procedural learning practices with examples aiding on how to have a better comprehension of the conceptual learning and can aid in their professional curriculum and tasks as well.
Most data science and analytics learners and even data professionals are encouraged to use such a handbook for getting real-time guidance in complicated data science and data-driven problems.
Such data science learning handbooks are easily available and accessible in e-library and online platforms through several online resources and in e-pdfs enabling them to have easy access to such learning modules and have a much clearer understanding of its application and guidance through the data science and analytical journey of the data scientists and the data experts as well as for the beginners in this domain.
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A Detailed List of Some of the Popular Data Science Handbook With Descriptions-
There are many such popular data science and analytics handbooks available however, some of the most popular and highly recommended handbooks are listed below:
1. Wiley’s Data Science Handbook:
Wiley’s Data Science Handbook is an in-detailed and comprehensive manual book with an overview of main data science concepts and data analytics methodologies and practices incorporating analytics, business development skills, programming languages in data science, and machine learning with SQL techniques and other processes important to master data science learning.
The handbook consists of an extensive data science roadmap from framing and identification of the problem statements in data science, comprehension of basic data-based questions and types, understanding the process of data wrangling methodology, and data exploration modules with EDA practices and techniques.
It includes guidance on how data structures are extracted from multiple sources and then subjected to modeling and designing as per requirements, then deploying essential data codes and presentation and visualization of data outcomes and results.
The book also consists of detailed learning of programming languages, and their usage along with types like Python language, R programming, SAS, and Scala programming languages along with octave and Matlab processes as well.
It also includes short-term crash course learning with Python programming offering guidance on the usage of the language and its extensive application in real-world data-based problems.
It includes other aspects of the Python language like tuples, sets, dictionaries, loops, control structures, and a glossary of programming terms. It has modules in data munging with data cleaning techniques, missing entries, formatting, string manipulation, regular expressions, and more along with visualization tools and metrics with pie-charts, histograms, etc.
It covers extensive process modules in machine learning as well as ensemble classifiers, regression, ROC, and technical communication curriculum. It has guidelines on database management with MySQL, big data learning with Apache Spark and Hadoop, Natural language processing practices, and an important curriculum in software engineering as well.
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2. O’Reilly’s Python Data Science Handbook:
Data Science Handbook by O’Reilly is a compiled edition of data science methodologies and practice guides with essential tools and top data analytical software used in the data science domain.
The handbook was written by Jake Vandar Plas and released in the year 2016 and considered to be one of the most reliable guideline books for conducting data science practices and learning.
The book contains exclusive modules and a Python learning curriculum along with libraries like NumPy, Matpotlib, Scikit-learn, Ipython, Pandas, and related tools enabling efficient data practices like data storing, data evaluation and manipulation, data processing and retrieving essential data insights.
It also covers coding practices with Python learning like writing and framing algorithms and in-built data codes and desk referencing procedures with machine learning model building, and data visualization techniques with data codes and practices.
For learners and professionals new to the concept and practices of Python, this book offers detailed guidance incorporating modules in comprehension of Python shell and notebook, documentation, and source coding along with exploring modules with navigation shortcuts, magic commands like pasting code blocks, timing code execution, external code running, input and output objects and many more.
NumPy modules contain Boolean logic, masks, combined indexing, array creation with Python lists, array computation, and more. It also includes data manipulation techniques with tools like Pandas, installation, and usage of objects, hierarchical indexing, and slicing techniques, merger and joins with relational algebra and pivot tables, string operations, time series, and many more.
It has a matpotlib tool for visualization with plotting and contouring techniques of data science learning, machine learning with applications and its types and classification processes, data model validation processes, feature engineering, Nave Bayes classification, kernel density estimation, and various other techniques including regression and automation with supervised and unsupervised learning models.
The handbook is extremely useful for working scientists, data analysts, and other data operators working with Python programming language and data model structuring and will guide them in their journey of data analytical processes.
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3. Machine Learning for Data Science Handbook:
Another latest and updated handbook edition for data science learning is the Machine Learning for Data Science Learning handbook along with data mining and knowledge discovery modules which is an updated version of its previous editions.
The handbook consists of the major conceptual theories and practice guidelines of key data science topics like machine learning, its methodologies, trends, applications, and real-world challenges.
This edition is an updated one compared to its previous editions published in the years 2005 and 2010 with better and enhanced quality of its contents and contains some new and revised topics as per the latest practices like deep learning with networking techniques, AI explainable modules in data science, advanced modules for big data learning along with some social issues and real-world problems.
The handbook targets data science researchers data analysts and experts serving as a major reference for those operating in various sectors like information technology and communication science, data mining practices, statistical analytics practices, computer science, software and electrical engineering domains, and e-commerce operations.
The handbook consists of around 41 chapters each dealing with detailed learning and analysis of fundamental and advanced concepts of machine learning starting with data science knowledge discovering using key Machine learning methods, then managing missing values in data structures and datasets, data integration learning with automation techniques, rule induction theory, and practices, K- nearest neighbors, support vector machines, decision trees and many more.
It also includes modules in spatial data science and multimedia data learning which an emerging interdisciplinary data research domain is with real-world examples showcasing the importance of computer vision, Natural language processing techniques, multimedia in machine learning, and data science practices.
The book contains algorithmic fats and information modules and a description of its top methodologies and practices. Machine learning and automation is a highly credible field in data science learning and this handbook offers relevant guidance in the domain.
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4. The Data Science and AI Handbook by Free Code Camp Press:
The Data Science and AI handbook by Free Code Camp Press is another popular and complete data analytical learning and data science learning handbook offering relevant and in-depth knowledge and guidance to conduct high-end data learning practices designed for a wide range of learners and data science professionals in business domain harnessing data science knowledge along with conceptual development of AI-based tools and programming in this competitive market.
The handbook is useful for learners from both technical and non-technical backgrounds as it has simple language and lucid explanatory modules.
It has introductory chapters offering brief analysis of domain knowledge of data science and the top uses and benefits of data science technologies and insights of its tools and analytical software along with work profile information of data scientist and their significant job information and the techniques they apply like linear algebra, calculus, data analytics, visualization, programming languages and many more.
The book consists of extensive knowledge and reference methodology as to how data science and AI programming structures are used in business model development and also discusses some top benefits like increasing sales, automating business operations, improving profitability, and customer engagement for enhancing business performance.
It discusses data science core concepts like statistics and how it influences decision-making allowing extraction of data information and identifying patterns, machine learning for conducting accurate data predictions automating multiple tasks, detecting irregularities, and classifying large data structures and sets.
It also includes modules in natural language processing techniques for carrying out tasks in text classification, virtual reality, entity recognition, and language generation modules along with the mechanism of chatbots, etc.
It also has detailed modules in Artificial intelligence learning and conducting A/B testing in data experimentation to devise strategies and program data structures accordingly.
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5. Data Science Handbook by Stanford University:
Data Science Handbook by Stanford University is a data science guidebook and user manual with transparent and open modules in data learning along with its best practices that are general and can be applicable in any field and sector, concise as it is suitable for data researchers and scientists involved with conducting high-end data science and analytical practices.
The handbook is highly detailed containing experimental parameters of high-volume data structures like data estimation, and statistical analytic techniques for pre-analysis along with relevant database management and designing its ethical implications and applications.
The handbook consists of the best data science practices that can be adopted to solve critical data-driven problems including making crucial decisions and strategies before implementing tools and analytical processes, planning and devising statistical analysis and learning, formulating data sets and structures, and preparing data for analytical techniques.
It also consists of an elaborate description of key data practices like data visualization for visualizing informative data structures, summarizing all the data sets, analyzing data, subjecting it to further research practices devising concrete statistical reports, and publishing it.
It has three phases of data science learning and application: Firstly, the designing phase creates the comprehensive data analysis plan and how to conduct the entire process analysis.
Secondly, the analysis phase where the data structures are subjected to the SAP or Statistical Analysis Plan along with its application modules and thirdly, the publication phase for decoding data and includes data science and analytical publication models.
Thus, it is an open-source handbook released by Stanford University their Stanford Data Science or SDS department considered to be a rich community of the world’s largest data scientists and data analytical practitioners working with high end accurate, and modernized data science techniques and analytical processes.
How to Learn All Fundamental Concepts of Data Science From Scratch?
Data Science is a multi-disciplinary learning and academic domain that consists of the principle concepts and learning modules of major subjects and another academic field like Statistics, advanced mathematics, computer scenic engineering and technology, and information and communication science learning.
Those who want to initiate their career in this field must be acquainted with some basic knowledge of the above-mentioned subjects as they form the foundational base of further devising and applying data science and analytical methodologies and practices although data science is flexible enough to have non-technical background candidates as well.
Data professionals and data experts deal with robust data analytics procedures therefore one must be well versed with basic ideologies and learning modules in the data science domain although it is recommended that they get enrolled in various comprehensive postgraduate or diploma courses in Data science having micro specialized modules in advanced data analytics and practices offered by multiple platforms.
Though such courses are increasingly being leveraged by professionals and beginners in this domain they are potent academic learning along with industry-recognized certification learning in data science and analytics where one can learn fundamental principles of real-world data analytical and data science practices and methodologies required to be a professional data analyst or a data scientist.
Apart from the basic educational background and qualifications, a data aspirant must also be willing to develop specific skills and learn about the data analytical tools and various software that are used to conduct advanced data-based practices.
The most common skills included in the learning process include modules in Python language programming, R programming, Statistical analysis, and applied mathematics and computational skills along with machine learning practices and big data technology, deep learning, and Natural language processing practices with cloud computation modules as well.
Apart from such hard skills, a data spirant also develops certain basic soft skills required in data science learning and operation like good communication skills with data science terminologies, data storytelling skills, critical thinking on data analytics, advanced problem-solving skills with big data structures, and also importantly collaborative working skills as a data scientist works with a team of other data analyst and operators.
It is also recommended to work on data science projects in real-life case studies to better understand how to streamline the significant analytical techniques and knowledge of the data tools and software in solving and dealing with large data-based problems in the domain.
FAQs:
1. Can the Data Science learning handbook help to solve critical data problems?
Ans: Yes, a data science learning handbook is highly comprehensive and contains detailed procedures in manual format to deal with data-based problems along with finding effective solutions.
2. Are Data Science handbooks useful for data professionals?
Ans: Data Science learning handbooks are highly useful to data professionals and data scientists conducting high-end data practices and aid them in systematically performing and applying data science techniques.
3. What are the top career options and opportunities in the domain of data science and analytics?
Ans: The top career paths and options in data science and analytics include that of a big data analyst, data architect, data engineer, chartered data scientist, machine learning developer, AI engineer, database manager, business analytics manager, and many more.
4. How to get hold of a data science handbook?
Ans: A Data science learning handbook is easily available on the online platform in the form of e-pdfs and in e-library modules where one can download them for free and also hard copies are available online as well.
Conclusion:
Thus, data science learning handbooks can easily be comprehended by graduates or experienced professionals in the Data Science domain, software engineers, and developers for deriving essential references and guidance in learning about the practices along with their application in real-world problem-solving mechanisms.
Most handbooks also contain advanced case study examples in different domains from medicine and healthcare, to financial and fraud mitigation fields along with virtual or augmented reality domains and in credit analysis, customer experience, and segmentation tasks enabling the diversity and scope of its application in such field.
Thus, such handbooks can be availed in online platforms and can aid one in their data science and analytics journey.

Vanthana Baburao
Currently serving as Vice President of the Data Analytics Department at IIM SKILLS......
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