There are countless excellent resources on data science, and it can be a little overwhelming to know where to start. This article will list some of the most useful blogs and websites for everyone—from data science experts to complete newbies. In addition to offering advice and learning resources, this list of data science blogs is also full of websites to keep informed about current news, trends, and opinions from professionals. If you’re just getting started and want to learn a little more about the subject itself, also check out our list of the best books about data science for beginners (link).
1. Data Science Central
Run By: Vincent Granville Website link: DataScienceCentral.com Data Science Central does exactly what its name suggests and acts as an online resource hub for just about everything related to data science and big data. The site covers a wide array of data science topics regarding analytics, technology, tools, data visualization, code, and job opportunities. Industry experts contribute discussion and insights about key topics. The site updates frequently, nearly two blog posts a day from contributing writers, and it also offers a community forum for discussion or questions.
2. SmartData Collective
Run By: Social Media Today Website link: SmartDataCollective.com SmartData Collective is a community site focused on trends in business intelligence and data management. Similar to Data Science Central, it also features insights into data science through contributions by industry experts. Where Data Science Central focuses directly on data science as a whole, SmartData Collective looks at the wider field and how data science can intersect with business.
3. What's The Big Data?
Run By: Gil Press Website link: WhatsTheBigData.com What's The Big Data? takes a different approach to data science and focuses on the impact of big data’s growth into the digital behemoth it is today. The blog’s founder, Gil Press, is intimately familiar with big data and data science, having spent a career in data research and now running a consulting practice. In his blog, Press explores how big data interacts with our lives and impacts everything from technology to business to government and policy. He provides a source of news and commentary on the sphere of data.
4. No Free Hunch
Run By: Kaggle Website link: Blog.Kaggle.com This blog is slightly different than the others, offering a look directly into the minds of data scientists, as well as tutorials and news. This is the blog of the data science website Kaggle, which hosts data science projects and competitions that challenges data scientists to produce the best models for featured data sets. Organizations can post their data problems with a prize amount and data professionals will enter to solve it. Crowdsourcing ensures that the experiments are innovative and interesting—and offer a lot of perspectives to learn from. Over 200 competitions have run, including high profile ones like improving Microsoft Kinect gesture recognition, improving the search for the Higgs boson at CERN, and the notorious Heritage Health $3 million award for improving predictions regarding which patients will need to visit hospitals. Kaggle’s official blog goes deeper into these competitions, offering interviews with the winners to discuss their approach to solving the data science problems. The blog also features news and tutorials for all levels of data science enthusiasts.
5. insideBIGDATA
Run By: Rich Brueckner Website link: InsideBIGDATA.com InsideBIGDATA focuses on the machine learning side of data science. It covers big data in IT and business, machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence. Guest features offer insight into industry perspectives, while news and Editor’s Choice articles highlight important goings-on in the field. All the articles are neatly categorized by topic to zero in on any subject in particular. The blog also maintains a host of resources for events, jobs, and research reports, and more. This is a resource for anyone wanting to stay up to date with machine learning.
Create beautiful visualizations with your data.
6. Simply Statistics
Run By: Jeff Leek, Roger Peng, and Rafa Irizarry Website link: SimplyStatistics.org If you can’t get enough of statistics, here’s the blog for you. Run by three biostats professors, they blog about an abundance of statistics in big data and how they are used by data scientists across all kinds of fields—including their own. For any new statisticians looking to jump into the career, they also have interviews with data scientists about their careers and roles in the industry.
7. Datafloq
Run By: Mark Van Rijmenam Website link: Datafloq.com Datafloq is run by Mark Van Rijmenam, author of “Think Bigger: Developing a Successful Big Data Strategy for Your Business,” and is a great resource for big data in data science. The blog focuses on the business aspects of big data and how to make data science work for organizations. It also features information about trending tech topics like blockchain and artificial intelligence. While it largely acts as a resource with articles and insights, Datafloq also seeks to connect professionals via job postings, vendors, events, and training.
8. Data Science 101
Run By: Ryan Swanstrom Website link: 101.DataScience.Community For anyone looking to enter the field of data science, here is great—if dense—start. Ryan Swanstrom has worked in data science for Microsoft, Wells Fargo, and government defense contractors. He currently consults as the Director of Data Science for Unify Consulting. In this blog, he shares his valuable experience, tips, and advice on how to be a successful data scientist. The blog extends back to 2012 with extensive archives, which are worth diving into for a hands-on history of the last few years in data science discussion.
9. Dataconomy
Run By: Dataconomy Media Website link: Dataconomy.com Dataconomy is another resource for prospective data scientists. It features the usual big data news and tech trends as well as editorials from industry experts. But what sets it apart from the other data science hubs is its resources for building a career in data science. The site offers a free IT research library and beginner’s guides to get started. For those already in the industry and looking to advance, it also has a job board and candidate database.
10. Data Science Report
Run By: Starbridge Partners Website link: StarbridgePartners.com/Data-Science-Report Speaking of in-depth resources, Data Science Report curates resources from all variety of formats to get data science into your brain. The site collects free courses, articles, books, videos, and TED Talks to help any level of data scientist. You can filter the topics to find select information regarding how to get started, salary negotiation, interviews, technology, social media, marketing, and topics that are just “simply interesting.” It’s a resource hub for data scientists at any point in their career and anyone with a mind to learn about data.