Quite simply, data profiling is an analysis of the content of a data source. This process allows you to assess the quality of data which may ultimately have an effect on your business analytics.
There are three main types of profiling to keep in mind:
1) Content discovery. This involves searching for errors by reviewing individual data records.
2) Relationship discovery. This involves considering how parts of data are related.
3) Structure discovery. A key process as well that focuses on verifying that all data is consistent and has been established in a specific format.
These processes will help ensure that your data is of the highest quality and, consequently, able to produce the most precise results for your analysis.