This is the first of two full, chapter-length projects where we will put everything we have learned about data cleaning into practice. We can think of each project as a dinner party where we show off our best skills from our data science kitchen. To host a successful dinner party, we should of course have our menu and guest list planned in advance. However, the mark of a true expert is how we react when things do not go exactly according to plan. We have all had that moment when we forget to buy an important ingredient, despite our carefully prepared recipes and shopping lists. Will we be able to adjust our plan to meet the new challenges we meet along the way?

In this chapter, we will tackle some data cleaning using the publicly-released Stack Overflow database dump. Stack Overflow is part of the Stack Exchange family of question-and-answer websites. On these sites, writing good questions and answers can earn a user points and badges that accumulate over...