Correct phrase: "advantages in using data" or "advantages of using data"?

Question

Prepositions confuse me. Which is correct: "advantages in using data" or "advantages of using data"?

Both sound good to me, but which is the correct and formal version?

Answer 1

The correct is "advantages of using data".

I'm not a native speaker and from what I know, the noun "advantage" is used this way:

advantage of

1. The advantages of doing something (can precede a gerund):

   • He has the advantage of speaking English fluently.

2. The advantages of something (a good or useful feature that something has; a factor or circumstance of benefit to its possessor):

   • One of the many advantages of living in New York is that you can eat out at almost any time of day.

advantage in

3. The advantages in something (something that benefits the one it belongs to; the fact of being in a better position or condition His great height is an advantage in basketball):

   • Speed is an advantage in sports.
   • His great height is an advantage in basketball.

advantage to

4. To somebody's advantage to something (benefit or gain):

   • It's to your own advantage to study. (=you would benefit from it)
   • It would be to your advantage to agree to his demands. (= it would improve the situation for you)
   • It might be to your advantage to take a computer course of some kind. (=it might help you)

Depending on what precedes the word "advantages" in your examples, you choose a corresponding preposition!