What role does a data engineer play in data science?

A data engineer is primarily responsible for building and maintaining the infrastructure and systems that facilitate data processing and storage. This role involves designing and creating data pipelines that ensure the efficient movement of data from various sources to databases or data warehouses, allowing data to be easily accessed, processed, and analyzed by data scientists and analysts.

Data engineers focus on the technical side of data management, configuring databases, managing ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes, and ensuring that data flows smoothly and is reliable for further use. Their work is essential for enabling data scientists to perform analysis, as the quality and availability of data directly influence the insights that can be drawn from it.

In contrast, the other options fall under different roles in the data science field. Analyzing data for insights and performing statistical analysis are typically the responsibilities of data analysts and data scientists, who interpret the data to derive conclusions and support decision-making. Gathering data through surveys and experiments is usually conducted by researchers or statisticians who focus on collecting relevant data to inform studies or projects. Thus, the correct answer highlights the distinct responsibilities of a data engineer in the broader context of data science.