Data manipulation is the part of data science that organizes or changes data into formatting that's easier to read and use for analytical purposes. It may involve advanced techniques and tools, such as relational algebra or SQL to manage the data. It may also require less advanced skills, such as alphabetization or spreadsheets to compile the data for the end user. This type of data analysis makes it possible for a data scientist to pull pertinent information for decision-making purposes out of a large, otherwise disorganized mass of data.