Missing Data
Learn about missing data, its types, and examples in this lesson.
Introduction
Missing data, also called missing values, is information not present in a dataset. This can occur for various reasons, such as the data not being recorded or collected correctly. Identifying and addressing missing data when analyzing a dataset is crucial because it can impact the accuracy and reliability of the results. Failing to address missing data can lead to biased results. Using statistical models to fill in missing values can help improve the accuracy of the analysis.
Types of missing data
There are several types of missing values, including:
Missing completely at random (MCAR): This type of missing value occurs when the probability of a missing value is the same for all observations in the dataset. For example, imagine we have a dataset with the ages of 100 people. Some ages are missing because the person forgot or didn't think it was ...