Data & Processing | Why is it important my data contains a "Report Date" column?

We tell stories about data in relation to time. For instance, how many impressions did you get last month, what was my total cost last year, or how many clicks have I gotten in the last 30 days? 

For this reason, we build our datasets here at ChannelMix around the column "Report Date." 

For this reason, it's very important that if you submit a custom data set, "Report Date" is an included field. 

Read on to learn why. 

Reasons Report Date is Important to include in your Data

1. Temporal Analysis: Having a dataset centered around a report date allows for temporal analysis, meaning you can analyze trends, patterns, and changes over time. 

2. Consistency and Standardization: Focusing on a single column like report date helps ensure consistency and standardization within the dataset. All data points in the dataset will share the same temporal reference point, making it easier to compare and analyze them accurately.

3. Data Integrity and Quality: By structuring your dataset around a single column like report date, you can enforce data integrity and quality control measures. It becomes easier to identify and rectify inconsistencies, missing values, or errors in the dataset.

4. Efficient Data Manipulation: Organizing data around a single column simplifies data manipulation tasks. For example, you can easily filter, sort, group, and aggregate data based on the report date. This facilitates various analytical tasks and makes it easier to derive insights from the data.

5. Integration with Other Data Sources: A dataset organized around a common temporal reference point can be more easily integrated with other datasets that share the same temporal dimension. This enables richer analyses and more comprehensive insights by combining different sources of data.

6. Facilitating Machine Learning and Predictive Modeling: When building predictive models or conducting machine learning tasks, having a consistent temporal dimension can be crucial. It allows for the creation of time-series datasets, which are commonly used in predictive modeling to forecast future trends or events.

7. Enhancing Data Interpretation: A dataset centered around a report date can make the interpretation of results more straightforward. It provides context and allows analysts to understand how different variables change over time and how they may be related.