What are good resources on data modelling for business intelligence?

Building effective data models for business intelligence (BI) is crucial for deriving valuable insights from data. Here are some resources that can help you learn more about data modeling specifically for business intelligence:

1. Books:

   • "The Data Warehouse Toolkit" by Ralph Kimball and Margy Ross: This classic book provides in-depth insights into dimensional modeling, a key aspect of data modeling for BI. It covers practical techniques for designing data warehouses.

   • "Star Schema: The Complete Reference" by Christopher Adamson: This book delves into the principles of designing star schema data models, which are widely used in BI environments.

2. Online Courses and Tutorials:

   • Coursera - "Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence" (University of Colorado System): This course covers the fundamentals of data warehousing, including data modeling for BI.

   • LinkedIn Learning - "Business Intelligence Foundations: Data Warehousing" by Ron Davis: This course provides an overview of data warehousing concepts and how to design data models for BI.

3. Webinars and Videos:

   • YouTube - Kimball Group Channel: The Kimball Group is well-known for its contributions to data warehousing and BI. The channel includes various videos and webinars on dimensional modeling and related topics.

   • PASS (Professional Association for SQL Server) Virtual Groups: PASS hosts virtual groups focused on BI and data architecture. They often feature webinars and presentations from industry experts.

4. Blogs and Articles:

   • Kimball Group Blog: The Kimball Group's blog is a valuable resource for articles on dimensional modeling, data warehousing, and BI best practices.

   • SQLBI Blog: Run by Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari, this blog covers a wide range of BI topics, including data modeling and DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) language used in Power BI and Excel.

5. Documentation from BI Tools:

   • Refer to the documentation of popular BI tools such as Power BI, Tableau, and Looker. These documents often include guidance on data modeling best practices specific to their platforms.

6. Community Forums and Groups:

   • Stack Overflow - Business Intelligence: Participate in discussions related to BI data modeling on Stack Overflow's Business Intelligence section. It's a great place to ask questions and learn from the community.

   • LinkedIn Groups: Join LinkedIn groups focused on BI and data modeling. Participate in discussions and learn from professionals working in the field.

7. Conferences and Events:

   • Attend conferences and events related to business intelligence, data warehousing, and data modeling. Examples include the Data Warehousing Institute (TDWI) conferences and Microsoft Ignite.

8. Vendor Documentation:

   • Explore the documentation provided by data warehouse and BI platform vendors such as Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, and Google BigQuery. They often include guidance on designing data models optimized for their platforms.

Remember to combine theoretical knowledge with hands-on practice. Work on real-world projects or create sample projects to apply what you learn from these resources. Additionally, stay updated on industry trends and emerging technologies in the business intelligence space.