Handling missing data is a crucial aspect of data preparation.
Two prevalent strategies involve: discarding records with absent entries (selection 2) and filling gaps with values approximating the mean or mode (selection 3).
These approaches safeguard the dataset's reliability and precision.
Eliminating entire data columns (selection 1) is infrequent due to the potential for substantial information depletion.
Retaining missing data without intervention (selection 4) is suboptimal for analytical purposes, as it can skew outcomes.
Introducing random values (selection 5) is discouraged, as it can inject variability and prejudice.
Consequently, selections 2 and 3 represent the standard, effective methods for addressing incomplete data.