Handling Sparse Data: Techniques Analysts Rarely Use
In the world of analytics, sparse data is one of those silent challenges that often goes unnoticed until it becomes a roadblock. Sparse data refers to datasets where a large proportion of the values are missing, zero, or simply carry little informational weight. For many beginners in analytics, the instinctive approach is either to drop missing rows or replace them with averages. However, professionals know that such straightforward methods can lead to distorted insights.