Lesson 16
Loading CSV data in Python
Big question
How do we bring a dataset into Python?
Lesson progress
Complete checkpoints as you learn
Learning objectives
- Explain loading csv data in python in plain language.
- Use csv correctly in an interpretation.
- Connect the lesson idea to a formula, graph, Python result, or real example.
Simple explanation
CSV files store tabular data in plain text. pandas can load a CSV into a DataFrame with one command, which is usually the first step in an empirical project.
Key terms
- CSV
- A comma-separated values file used for simple tabular data.
- File path
- The location of a file on your computer or project.
- read_csv
- The pandas function that loads a CSV file.
- Head
- The first few rows of a DataFrame.
Example
If wage_sample.csv is in the data folder, read_csv can load it into Python as a table.
Load the sample dataset
1import pandas as pd2 3df = pd.read_csv("wage_sample.csv")4print(df.head())Live notebook
Run this lesson as a notebook
Open an editable notebook cell-by-cell, run Python in the browser, and download the `.ipynb` file for later.
Checkpoint activity
Pause and explain this lesson's main idea in your own words before moving forward.
Try it yourself
Write one plain-English sentence explaining the main idea from this lesson.
Common mistakes
Check these before you move on.
A regression coefficient describes a pattern unless the assumptions or research design support a causal interpretation.
Quick quiz
Which pandas command loads a CSV file?
Key takeaway
Loading data is the first practical step from question to analysis.