Individual Retrospective – Data Collection

[Mohamedmxz]

Hello team,

Please use this thread to share your individual learning retrospectives for this milestone: Data Collection
Take a moment to reflect on:

🧠 What you learned

✅ What went well

⚠️ What could be improved

[Mohamedmxz]

What I Learned

• I learned that working with more people in a team can make things better and more effective.
• I learned how to collect data more carefully.
• I improved my ability to refine and narrow down a research question based on what data is actually available.

What Went Well

• After the merge, working with the new team was easier than I expected.
• The team was welcoming, and we were able to align and continue working on the milestone smoothly.

What Could Be Improved / Challenges

• The merge process took time and affected the flow of work.
• After the merge, I spent most of my time reading through the new repository and trying to better understand the new work process.

[Husayn01]

Milestone Retrospective: Data Collection

What I Learned

• Techniques for sourcing high-quality, relevant datasets.
• The importance of data relevance, accuracy, and ethical sourcing.
• How to assess data completeness and consistency early on.

What Went Well

• Successfully identified and collected datasets that align with the project goals.
• Maintained proper documentation of sources and collection process.

What Could Be Improved

• Spent too much time sourcing and cleaning due to inconsistencies.

[salihakalender]

🧠What I Learned
I learned how to successfully find and gather datasets that match our project goals, and how to clearly document their sources and processing steps. This process also taught me to be more careful and intentional when selecting and organizing data, and I saw how choosing a clear direction gives the project more meaning.

✅What Went Well
We were able to successfully find and gather datasets that matched our project objectives, and we kept clear records of where the data came from and how it was processed.

⚠️What Could Be Improved
Merging with the other group took some time, and it also took a little while for newer members to fully adapt to the group rhythm — but I believe things will run more smoothly in the next milestone.
Going forward, it might help to define roles and expectations more clearly. At times, unclear communication or delays slowed our progress, so improving regular check-ins could help us stay more aligned and efficient.

[linahKhayri]

Linah Khayri:

🧠 What I Learned
The importance of patience and adaptability when working on group projects

The value of defining clear goals at the start of a project

Gained experience in data searching and learned to critically assess and question data sources

Developed skills in cleaning messy datasets and choosing appropriate visualizations to communicate insights effectively

✅ What Went Well
We were able to reach a common understanding and work collaboratively as a team

Clearly defined objectives made data selection more efficient and focused

⚠️ What Could Be Improved
Thoroughly reviewing and assisting with datasets early on could have saved time

Avoiding delays by setting realistic deadlines and time buffers

Consistent check-ins on Slack or WhatsApp would have improved communication

[FalaqMajeed]

✨What I learned

The importance of patience when working on group projects.

How to clean data and present the cleaning process clearly in notebooks.

How to choose visuals that effectively explain and highlight relationships in the data.

The value and impact of thorough data exploration.

✅ What went well

We managed to define a research question grounded in the feasibility of our available data.

We completed all the milestone tasks within the deadline.

⚠️ What could be improved

Enhancing group communication and discussion on Slack and WhatsApp, rather than relying solely on meetings for decisions.

Regularly updating the group through check-ins.

Reviewing the guides and syllabus more thoroughly to ensure we stay aligned with requirements.

[Adamx090]

🧠 What we learned

We learned how to access and align global datasets from WHO and IHME, and the importance of consistent structure, naming, and time frames during data cleaning.

✅ What went well

We identified reliable data sources, completed cleaning for both datasets, and coordinated well as a team throughout the process.

⚠️ What could be improved

Coordination and decision-making could have been faster during the data selection phase, especially when narrowing down health indicators and countries.