Exploratory analysis is a statistical approach to analyzing data in order to discover patterns, trends, and relationships that may not have been previously known or considered. It involves examining the data from different perspectives and using various techniques, such as data visualization, summary statistics, and clustering, to gain insights and generate hypotheses for further investigation. Exploratory analysis is often used at the beginning of a research project to explore the data and guide the development of more focused research questions and methodologies. It is a flexible and iterative process that can help researchers uncover hidden patterns and make sense of complex datasets.