Structured vs. Unstructured Data: Key Differences Explained
Datamation, February 9th, 2023
Structured data consists of clearly defined data types with patterns that make them easily searchable, while unstructured data-'everything else'-is composed of data that is usually not as easily searchable, including formats like audio, video, and social media postings.
Structured data analytics is a mature process and technology, whereas unstructured data analytics is a nascent industry with a lot of new investment in research and development.
The structured data versus unstructured data issue within corporations is deciding if they should invest in analytics for unstructured data and determining if it is possible to aggregate the two into better business intelligence.