Statistics Variable and Types of Data

Variable and Types of Data

Information, especially facts or numbers collected for decision making is called data. Data may be numerical or categorical. Data may also be generated through a variable.

Variable: A variable is an entity that varies from a place to place, a person to person, a trial to trial and so on. For instance the height is a variable; domicile is a variable since they vary from person to person.

A variable is said to be quantitative if it is measurable and can be expressed in specific units of measurement (numbers).

A variable is said to be qualitative if it is not measurable and cannot be expressed in specific units of measurement (numbers). This variable is also called categorical variable.

The variable height is a quantitative variable since it is measurable and is expressed in a number while the variable domicile is qualitative since it is not measured and is expressed as rural or urban. It is noted that they are free from units of measurement.

Quantitative Data:

Quantitative data (variable are measurements that are collected or recorded as a number. Apart from the usual data like height, weight etc.,

Qualitative Data:

Qualitative data are measurements that cannot be measured on a natural numerical scale. For example, the blood types are categorized as O, A, B along with the Rh factors. They can only be classified into one of the pre assigned or pre designated categories.