1. Where Data Analysts Find Data

Data analysts work with many types of data, and knowing where to access data is a core skill. Broadly, data used in analytics comes from two main sources:

  • Internal data
  • External data

Each type has different strengths and use cases.

2. Internal Data (Primary Data)

Internal data is data that:

  • Lives within an organization’s own systems
  • Is generated by the organization’s operations

It is sometimes called primary data.

Common internal data sources

  • Sales systems
  • Marketing platforms
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems
  • Finance databases
  • Human Resources systems
  • Internal data archives

Advantages of internal data

  • Highly relevant to the organization’s problems
  • Directly aligned with business processes
  • Free to access because the organization owns it
  • Often detailed and specific

Challenges

  • Data may be spread across multiple departments
  • Access may require coordination and permissions

Despite these challenges, internal data is often the foundation of most analytics projects.

3. When Internal Data Is Not Enough

Internal data does not always provide the full context needed for analysis. In such cases, analysts supplement their work with external data to gain broader perspective.

4. External Data (Secondary Data)

External data is data that:

  • Is generated outside the organization
  • Comes from third-party sources

It is sometimes called secondary data.

Common external data sources

  • Other businesses
  • Government agencies
  • Media organizations
  • Professional associations
  • Academic institutions
  • Nonprofit organizations

Why external data is useful

  • Adds industry-level or market-wide context
  • Enables benchmarking and comparison
  • Complements internal insights

In fields like healthcare, external data from partner organizations or nonprofits is often used to enrich analysis.

5. Open Data and Openness

A significant amount of external data is available through open data initiatives.

Open data refers to data that is freely available for access, use, and sharing.

Example: Government open data

Government portals provide public datasets on topics such as:

  • Weather patterns
  • Education outcomes
  • Crime statistics
  • Transportation systems
  • Public spending

Purposes of open data

  • Increase transparency in government activities
  • Educate citizens on public issues
  • Improve public services through feedback
  • Support innovation and economic growth

6. Open Data in Practice

Open data enables practical, real-world applications.

Example

  • A bike-sharing company uses public transportation and traffic data
  • Identifies high-traffic areas
  • Places bikes strategically to reduce car usage and improve mobility

This shows how combining internal business data with external open data creates stronger insights.

7. Public Data Platforms

Large organizations host public datasets that support analysis across many fields.

Common data topics

  • Science and research
  • Transportation
  • Economics
  • Climate and environment

These datasets expand what analysts can study beyond organizational boundaries.

8. Key Takeaways

  • Data analysts access data from internal and external sources
  • Internal (primary) data is owned by the organization and highly relevant
  • External (secondary) data provides broader context
  • Internal data may require coordination across departments
  • External data comes from governments, businesses, and public sources
  • Open data initiatives make large datasets freely available
  • Combining internal and external data leads to richer analysis

One-sentence summary

Data analysts access internal data from organizational systems and external data from public and third-party sources, combining both to create comprehensive and context-rich analyses.