Sampling and Data

Summary :

This opening chapter answers the question of when and where statistics gets used, pointing to the statistical information embedded in everyday newspaper and news coverage. It covers recognizing and differentiating key statistical terms, applying various sampling methods to data collection, and creating and interpreting frequency tables.

When and where statistics is used

The chapter opens by addressing a question many students ask, when and where they will actually use statistics, and answers it by pointing to the statistical information embedded in everyday newspaper articles, television news, and internet coverage of topics such as crime, sports, education, politics, and real estate.

Key terms and sampling methods

Students learn to recognize and differentiate between key statistical terms and to apply various types of sampling methods to data collection, building the vocabulary and practical technique needed before any data can be meaningfully analyzed or discussed.

Frequency tables

The chapter also covers creating and interpreting frequency tables, a basic tool for organizing raw data into counts by category or value, giving students their first structured way to summarize a data set before moving into the graphical and numerical descriptive methods covered in later chapters.