Teaching Data Joins: A Conceptual Approach with SQL, Alteryx, and Tableau
Academic Article
Overview
Overview
Abstract
Joining data is an often confusing topic for beginning data analytics students or even intermediate users, especially given the numerous types of joins. Although several accounting information system textbooks teach basic SQL and joins, there are few resources to supplement the textbooks and to reinforce and clarify join concepts. In this paper, we take a multi-tool approach and present a three-part exercise for teaching data joins using three different software tools: Microsoft Access, Alteryx, and Tableau. We begin with a detailed review of the concept of four different join types (INNER JOIN, LEFT OUTER JOIN, RIGHT OUTER JOIN, and FULL OUTER JOIN) and illustrate each of these joins in SQL. Next, we illustrate these joins using Alteryx, a more advanced data analytics tool. Finally, we illustrate how the Tableau data model, consisting of a logical layer and physical layer, implements the different join types depending on the data needs of a visualization. Overall, these exercises provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the different join types and how the joins are implemented in different software, as well as practice in the selection, use, and validation of joins in data analysis.
