On generating high InfoQ with Bayesian networks

Abstract

Numbers are not data and data analysis does not necessarily produce information and knowledge. Statistics, data mining, and artificial intelligence are disciplines focused on extracting knowledge from data. They provide tools for testing hypotheses, predicting new observations, quantifying population effects, and efficiently summarizing data. In these fields, quantitative and qualitative data is used to derive knowledge. The concept of Information Quality (InfoQ) is defined by Kenett and Shmueli as the potential of a dataset to achieve a specific (scientific or practical) goal using a given data analysis method. Eight dimensions help assess the level of InfoQ of a study. These are: Data Resolution, Data Structure, Data Integration, Temporal Relevance, Generalizability, Chronology of Data and Goal, Operationalization, and Communication. This paper shows with examples, how combining graphical analysis with Bayesian analysis in the form of Bayesian networks generates high InfoQ. Specifically, we refer to examples from customer surveys of high tech companies, risk management of telecom systems, monitoring of bioreactors and managing healthcare of diabetic patients. These examples support the more general claim made here that Bayesian networks generate high information quality (InfoQ).

Keywords:

• Information quality
• InfoQ
• Bayesian networks
• applications of Bayesian networks

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notes on contributor

Ron Kenett, Chairman of the KPA Group (www.kpa-group.com), Research Professor, University of Turin, Turin, Italy, International Professor Associate, Center for Risk Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, NY, USA and Visiting Professor at the Hebrew University Institute for Drug Research, Jerusalem, Israel. Ron is past president (2006–2007) of the European Network for Business and Industrial Statistics (ENBIS) and past president (2011–2013) of the Israel Statistical Association (ISA). He is the 2013 recipient of the RSS Greenfield Medal for excellence in the development and deployment of applied statistics, published over 200 publications and 12 books on topics in industrial statistics, multivariate statistics, risk management, biostatistics and quality management and served as Editor in Chief for Europe of QTQM (2007–2009).