The importance of data is growing each day due to the increased use of technology. A recent study forecasted that data would grow by 40% within the next decade. Even with the enormous amounts of data, we are still starving for more knowledge.

Data mining is the activity of looking at databases of information to generate new information. It is not the process of extracting data but about extrapolating patterns and new information from collected data.

The process is not simple since very few data mining techniques to acquire information from a large data set is available. One requires powerful tools to help them get the right information. It is impossible to do it without effective data mining tools.

The Main Data Mining Techniques

The choice of picking a certain data mining technique depends on the problem you need to solve. Different problems require different approaches. It is vital to pick the most appropriate technique to yield better results.

Below are the main data mining processes to help you achieve the required results;

1.  Association rule learning

This process helps one identify the relationship between different variables in huge databases. Using this process, one can unpack various hidden patterns in a large data set to identify variables frequently in the dataset.

       2. Clustering analysis

 cluster is a collection of data objects. Objects within the same cluster have similar characteristics. This clustering process discovers groups and clusters in the data so that the association between the two objects is high. It is best when creating customer profiling.

3. Regression Analysis

Regression analysis identifies and analyses the relationship among variables. It helps identify and understand the value of changes in the dependent variable when there is a change in the independent variable. Analysts mainly use this technique in prediction and forecasting.

4. Outlier Detection

It is a technique used to identify data items in a database that does not match a known or expected behaviour pattern. One can refer to such data items as novelties, noise, deviations, and exceptions. These are data items that deviate from the common average within a data set or a combination of data. These deviations are a clear indication that something is out of the normal, and one must do more investigation on it. This method is vital in intrusion detection, system health monitoring, and fraud detection.

5. Classification Analysis

Classification analysis is vital when retrieving important and relevant information from databases. It is a similar process to clustering due to the division of data into different segments. The only difference with clustering is that analysts know the different classes. In classification analysis, one applies algorithms to help in deciding the classification of the data. This process is mainly used in emails to categorize emails into different sections, such as legitimate or spam.