A new approach for exploring multivariate data: self-organising maps

Timothy Bock

This paper introduces a form of neural network known as the self-organising map (SOM), which has been used extensively outside of marketing.
  

A New Approach For Exploring Multivariate Data

Self-organising maps

Timothy BockUniversity of New South Wales

Introduction

The importance of exploratory data analysis as a means of gaining insights and ensuring the correct specification of statistical models has long been recognised (Ehrenberg 1975; Tukey 1977). Its employment in 'data mining' has seen exploratory data analysis become an integral part of modern quantitative marketing practice. The large numbers of variables we commonly employ in marketing applications presents a great challenge, as the problem of how to best describe multivariate data is far from being well understood.

The...

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