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1.1: What is Statistics?
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There is more data available now than at any other time in history. We need to be informed consumers of information by critically evaluating data and the claims being made supposedly based on data. Together we embark on this study of statistics as we study a range of techniques and procedures for analyzing, interpreting, displaying, and making decisions based on data.
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1.2: Importance of Statistics
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It is important to properly evaluate the data and claims that bombard us every day. Statistics provides the necessary tools to construct a deeper understanding of the world around us and to react intelligently to the information that we consume on a daily basis. In this sense, statistics is one of the most important things that we can study.
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1.3: Two Realms of Statistics- Descriptive and Inferential
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The word statistics can refer to different things. Descriptive statistics are numbers that are used to summarize and describe data. Inferential statistics are methods to understand properties of some data set based on what is known about a smaller subset.
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1.4: Sampling Methods
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Sampling is the means by which sample data is collected, and it plays a significant role in inferential statistics. There are many ways to sample; some are better than others.
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1.5: Variables
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Variables are properties or characteristics of some event, object, or person that can take on different values or amounts. Just as there are different types of characteristics, there are different types of variables. Some variable types do not admit certain computations and analyses; so, it is important that we pay close attention to the variables and data that we analyze.
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1.6: Levels of Measurement
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Before we can conduct a statistical analysis, we need to measure our dependent variable. Exactly how the measurement is carried out depends on the type of variable involved in the analysis. Different types are measured differently. There are four levels of measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. Each level builds upon the previous, making ratio the most informative.