Learn in the textbookBI, Data Warehouse, and Mining
DefinitionData mining (データマイニング) is a method of analyzing large amounts of data with statistics, machine learning, and similar techniques to uncover patterns and relationships no one had noticed.
ExplanationRather than only testing a set hypothesis, it starts from the data and looks for relationships. For example, if library lending records show that people who borrow books in one field tend to borrow from another, that suggests a way to rearrange the shelves. A relationship found this way does not prove cause and effect, so check it against business knowledge before acting on it.
AnalogyIt is like panning river sand for gold. You cannot tell what will turn up until you sift.
Memory hookMine means both a pit and the act of digging one, which fits the image of digging through a mountain of data.