Design, variables, measures

Descriptive stats

Organizing and summarizing data

Inferential statistics

Formal methods for drawing conclusions from “good” data

probability

mathematical tool used to study randomness

numerical variable

takes on values with equal units such as weight in pounds and time in hours

categorical variable

variables that place the person or thing into a category

data

actual values of the variable. They may be numbers or words

Qualitative data

Describes qualities, characteristics or categories that can not be measured with numbers

Quantitative data

Quantity, amount, numerical, can be used for math calculations.

Discrete data

type of quantitative data that takes on only certain numerical values. They are countable and often represent whole numbers

Continuous data

type of quantitative data that results from measuring data. There are no gaps in the range of outcomes. Accuracy is limited only by the instrument used to measure.

observational study

observing and measuring specific characteristics without attempting to modify the subjects being studied.

Experimental study

Apply some controlled factor and then observe it’s effects on the subjects

Nominal scale level

simplest level of measurement in statistics that uses names, labels, or categories to group data without any numerical value, rank, or order.

ordinal scale level

where data falls into categories with a specific, meaningful rank or order, but the exact distance between the ranks is unknown.

Interval scale level

a quantitative measurement tool where the differences between numbers are equal and meaningful, but the scale has no true zero point.

Ratio scale level

featuring quantitative data, equal intervals between values, and an absolute "true zero" point

explanatory variables

Type of measurement that explains, predicts, or causes changes in another variable (independent variable)

Response variable

the main outcome or dependent variable that a researcher measures or predicts in a statistical study ( Dependent variable)