At which CRISP-DM phase is initial data collection performed?

The correct phase for initial data collection within the CRISP-DM framework is the Data Understanding phase. This phase is crucial as it lays the foundation for the entire data analysis project. During the Data Understanding phase, data scientists gather initial data, which involves accessing various sources to collect the necessary information that will be analyzed in later stages.

Furthermore, this phase consists of several activities such as data exploration, which may include looking for patterns, checking the quality of the data, and understanding the data's context and content. This helps in forming a clearer picture of what the data entails, which is vital for making informed decisions about subsequent processes.

In contrast, the Business Understanding phase primarily focuses on defining the project objectives and requirements from a business perspective. The Evaluation phase involves assessing how well the project meets the business objectives and requirements, which comes later in the CRISP-DM process. Data Preparation involves cleaning and transforming the collected data into a format suitable for analysis, which occurs after the initial data collection has already taken place. Thus, the initial data collection's appropriate placement is firmly within the Data Understanding phase.