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Types of Data: Structured vs Unstructured

The document discusses three types of data: structured, semi-structured, and unstructured. Structured data is organized in fixed formats with predefined schemas, while semi-structured data has flexible schemas with tags. Unstructured data lacks a predefined model and is primarily human-generated, requiring advanced techniques for analysis.

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9 views7 pages

Types of Data: Structured vs Unstructured

The document discusses three types of data: structured, semi-structured, and unstructured. Structured data is organized in fixed formats with predefined schemas, while semi-structured data has flexible schemas with tags. Unstructured data lacks a predefined model and is primarily human-generated, requiring advanced techniques for analysis.

Uploaded by

omarkamrl1234
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Ch4: Structured, Semi-

structured, and Unstructured Dr. El-Sayed Orabi

Data
Structured Data

Concept:
•Data organized in fixed format (rows/columns) with
predefined schema
•Stored in relational databases or spreadsheets
Main Features:
•Predefined schema, high data quality
•Easy to query and analyze using SQL
Examples:
Customer names, IDs, transactions
Structured Data
Semi-Structured Data

Concept:
•Does not fit rigid tables but has tags/metadata
•Flexible schema — can evolve without breaking structure
Main Features:
•Self-describing elements (tags, markers)
•Partly structured, partly free-form
Examples:
XML, JSON, emails
Semi-Structured Data
Unstructured Data

Concept:
•No predefined data model or schema
•Mostly human-generated content, hard to store in RDBMS
Main Features:
•No fixed format, difficult to search directly
•Large volume, requires AI/NLP for analysis
Examples:
Videos, images, social media posts
DATA TYPES COMPARISON TABLE
Aspect Structured Data Semi-Structured Unstructured Data
Data
Schema Fixed Flexible None

Format Tabular Hierarchical / Free-form


Tagged
Storage RDBMS NoSQL / XML / Data lakes / File
JSON systems
Ease of Search Very easy (SQL) Moderate Hard (AI/NLP
required)

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