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Understanding Types of Data and Visualization

This document discusses different types of data and how to represent and describe them. It covers variables, types of data like discrete vs. continuous and nominal vs. ordinal, types of observations like time series and cross-sectional, and ways to represent different data types using graphs and charts. It also discusses describing histograms, bivariate relationships using contingency tables and scatterplots, and interpreting scatterplots.

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10 views2 pages

Understanding Types of Data and Visualization

This document discusses different types of data and how to represent and describe them. It covers variables, types of data like discrete vs. continuous and nominal vs. ordinal, types of observations like time series and cross-sectional, and ways to represent different data types using graphs and charts. It also discusses describing histograms, bivariate relationships using contingency tables and scatterplots, and interpreting scatterplots.

Uploaded by

focuc98
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Week 1

TYPES

OF DATA : CONCEPT AND JARGONS

Variable is a characteristic of a population or of a sample from a


population
o Observe values or observations of a variable
o Data set contains observations on variables
Discrete (countable)

Quantative
(numerical)

Continuous
(measurable)

Variable

Nominal

Qualitative
(categorical)

o
o
o

TYPES

Ordinal

Discretetake finite set of numbers e.g. scores in a match


Continuoustake infinite set of numbers e.g. time, height, weight
Nominalvalues or observations can be assigned a code in the form
of a number where the numbers are simply labels, can count but
not order or measure nominal data e.g. sex and eye colour
Ordinalcan be ranked (put in order) or have a rating scale
attached, can count and order but not measure ordinal data e.g.
house numbers and swimming level

OF OBSERVATIONS

Time series ordered sequence of values of a single quantitative variable


measured at regular intervals over time e.g. births per day in Sydney for a
year, GDP growth
Cross sectional measurement of one or more variables at a single point
in time e.g. age, gender and marital status of UNSW staff in 2016

REPRESENTING

DIFFERENT DATA TYPES

Data
Quantitative

Qualitative

Histograms

Stem-andLeaf

Frequency
table

Scatterplots

Time series

Pie chart

Bar graph

Histograms
o Categories need to be mutually exclusive (separate) and
exhaustive (encompass entire range of outcomes)
o Bin label midpoints preferred to upper or lower limits, bar areas
proportional to frequencies
o No gaps

Bar charts

Week 1

Small spaces between bars indicates bars are freestanding (can be


rearranged in any order)

DESCRIBING

Symmetric distribution halves on either side of the centre look approx.


same, (mean = median = mode)
Asymmetric distribution
o Positively skewed long tail to the right, (mean > median)
o Negatively skewed long tail to the left, (mean < median)
Modal class is the class with the highest frequency
o Unimodal, bimodal or multimodal

BIVARIATE

HISTOGRAMS

RELATIONSHIPS

Relationship between two random variables x and y


Characterise relationships between variables:
o Contingency table (cross-tabulation or cross-tab table) relationship
between two qualitative variables
o Scatterplots relationship between two quantitative variables, if one
variable is time then it is a time series

INTERPRETING

SCATTERPLOTS

Shape doesnt tell whether the relationship between variables is strong or


weak
Strength is measured by how many points lie around a linear line NOT the
steepness of the slope

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