Hular Jr., Raul M.

November 11, 2015

AB Political Science Basic Statistics

1. Data
Facts or figures from which conclusions can be drawn
2. Statistics
A number that can be computed from data, involving no unknown
parameters. As a function of a random sample, a statistic is a random
variable. Statistics are used to estimate parameters, and to test
hypotheses.
3. Population
A collection of units being studied. Units can be people, places,
objects, epochs, drugs, procedures, or many other things. Much of
statistics is concerned with estimating numerical properties
(parameters) of an entire population from a random sample of units
from the population.
4. Sample
A sample is a collection of units from a population.
5. Parameter
A numerical property of a population, such as its mean.
6. Variable
A numerical value or a characteristic that can differ from individual
to individual.
7. Quantitative
A variable that takes numerical values for which arithmetic makes
sense, for example, counts, temperatures, weights, amounts of money,
etc. For some variables that take numerical values, arithmetic with those
values does not make sense; such variables are not quantitative. For
example, adding and subtracting social security numbers does not make
sense. Quantitative variables typically have units of measurement, such
as inches, people, or pounds.
8. Qualitative
 A qualitative variable is one whose values are adjectives, such as
colors, genders, nationalities

9. Continuous
A quantitative variable is continuous if its set of possible values is
uncountable. Examples include temperature, exact height, and exact
age (including parts of a second). In practice, one can never measure a
continuous variable to infinite precision, so continuous variables are
sometimes approximated by discrete variables. A random variable X is
also called continuous if its set of possible values is uncountable, and
the chance that it takes any particular value is zero (in symbols, if P(X
= x) = 0 for every real number x). A random variable is continuous if
and only if its cumulative probability distribution function is a continuous
function (a function with no jumps).
10. Discrete
Quantitative variable whose set of possible values is countable.
Typical examples of discrete variables are variables whose possible
values are a subset of the integers, such as Social Security numbers,
the number of people in a family, ages rounded to the nearest year, etc.
Discrete variables are "chunky." C.f. continuous variable. A discrete
random variable is one whose set of possible values is countable. A
random variable is discrete if and only if its cumulative probability
distribution function is a stair-step function; i.e., if it is piecewise
constant and only increases by jumps.

11. Inferential
Makes inferences and predictions about a population based on a
sample of data taken from the population in question.
12. Descriptive
Uses the data to provide descriptions of the population, either
through numerical calculations or graphs or tables.

13. Dependent
In regression, the variable whose values are supposed to be
explained by changes in the other variable (the the independent or
 explanatory variable). Usually one regresses the dependent variable on
the independent variable.

14. Independent
In regression, the independent variable is the one that is supposed
to explain the other; the term is a synonym for "explanatory variable."
Usually, one regresses the "dependent variable" on the "independent
variable." There is not always a clear choice of the independent variable.
The independent variable is usually plotted on the horizontal axis.
Independent in this context does not mean the same thing as
statistically independent.

Measurements of Data

1. Nominal
Nominal scales are used for labeling variables, without any quantitative
value. Nominal scales could simply be called labels.

2. Ordinal
It is the order of the values is whats important and significant, but the
differences between each one is not really known.

3. Ratio
Ratio scales are the ultimate nirvana when it comes to measurement
scales because they tell us about the order, they tell us the exact value
between units, AND they also have an absolute zerowhich allows for a
wide range of both descriptive and inferential statistics to be applied.

4. Interval
Interval scales are numeric scales in which we know not only the order,
but also the exact differences between the values.

Sources:
http://www.stat.berkeley.edu/~stark/SticiGui/Text/gloss.htm
http://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/types-of-data-nominal-
ordinal-interval-ratio/