Unit 1:
Data and statistical variables
Bioengineering ’22-’23
Cristina Gallego Fabrega
Universitat
Internacional
de Catalunya
o What is Data?
o Why is Data important?
o What kind of data is relevant to your life
and your studies?
Program
1: Definition of Data
2: Variables vs. Values
3: Data analysis and representation
1. Definition
• Data is a set of values of subjects with respect to qualitative or
quantitative variables. Data and information or knowledge are often
used interchangeably; however, data becomes information when it is
viewed in context or in post-analysis.
- Wikipedia
1. Definition
• Data is a set of values of subjects with respect to qualitative or
quantitative variables. Data and information or knowledge are often
used interchangeably; however, data becomes information when it is
viewed in context or in post-analysis.
- Wikipedia
1. Definition
• Data is a set of values of subjects with respect to qualitative or
quantitative variables. Data and information or knowledge are often
used interchangeably; however, data becomes information when it is
viewed in context or in post-analysis.
- Wikipedia
2. Variables vs Values
• A variable is a holder for a representation of a value.
Variables, unlike values, can be updated; that is, the current value of
the variable can be replaced by another value.
Variable Value
Name Serena Williams
Sex Female
Profession Tennis Player
Yearly Income $36M
2. Variables vs Values
• A variable is a holder for a representation of a value.
Variables, unlike values, can be updated; that is, the current value of
the variable can be replaced by another value.
Name Sex Profession Yearly Income
Serena Williams Female Tennis Player $36M
Jackie Chan Male Actor $40M
Tom Brady Male NFL player $45M
Billie Eilish Female Singer $53M
2.1. Quantitative vs Qualitative
• Quantitative variables are those where data represents amounts (e.g.
height, weigh, age, …). Are measures of values or counts and are
expressed as numbers
• Qualitative variables are measures of “types” and may be
represented by a name, a symbol or a number code (e.g. gender,
country, machine type, …)
2.1. Quantitative vs Qualitative
2.2. Variable types
• So far we learnt the difference between qualitative and quantitative
• In statistics, qualitative may also be called categorical and quantitative will be
called numeric
2.2. Variable types
• Continuous variables are numeric variables that have an infinite number of
values between any two values. A continuous variable can be numeric or
date/time.
Example: date & time, age
• Discrete variables are numeric variables that have a countable number of values
between any two values. A discrete variable is always numeric.
Example: Number of operative sensors.
2.2. Variable types
• Ordinal variables are categorical variables where the other of the values is what’s
important and significant, but the differences between each one is not really
know.
Example:
• Nominal variables are categorical in witch a nominal scale is used for labeling
variables without any quantitative value. “Nominal” scales could simply be called
“labels” (or names).
Example:
Binary
variable
2.2. Variable types
3. Data analysis and representation
How do we turn data
into information?
Universitat
Internacional
de Catalunya
3.1. Basic Data Pipeline
• A Data Pipeline is a series of data processing steps.
3.1. Basic Data Pipeline
3.2. Data Representation
• Data representations are graphics that
display and summarize data and help us to
understand the data's meaning.
Data representations can help us answer the
following questions:
How much of the data falls within a specified
category or range of values?
What is a typical value of the data?
How much spread is in the data?
Is there a trend in the data over time?
Is there a relationship between two variables?
3.2. Data Representation
• Scatter plot – Continuous
Uses one dot for each data point.
The dots are plotted above their
corresponding values on a number
line. The number of dots above
each specific value represents the
count of that value.
3.2. Data Representation
• Dotplot – Discreet
Uses one dot for each data point.
The dots are plotted above their
corresponding values on a number
line. The number of dots above
each specific value represents the
count of that value. Is useful for
small datasets.
3.2. Data Representation
• Line Chart – Quantitative
3.2. Data Representation
• Box plot – Continuous
Simple way of representing
statistical data on a plot in which a
rectangle is drawn to represent the
second and third quartiles, usually
with a vertical line inside to indicate
the median value. The lower and
upper quartiles are shown as
horizontal lines either side of the
rectangle.
3.2. Data Representation
• Box plot – Continuous
3.2. Data Representation
• Bar Chart – Ordinal
Lists the categories of the qualitative
variable along an axis and uses the
heights of the bars on the opposite axis
to show the values of the quantitative
variable. This display draws attention to
how the categories rank according to
the amount of data within each.
3.2. Data Representation
• Pie Chart – Nominal
Is a circle that is divided into as many
sections as there are categories of the
qualitative variable. The area of each
section represents, for each category, the
value of the quantitative data as a fraction
of the sum of values. The fractions sum
to 111. Sometimes the section labels
include both the category and the
associated value or percent value for that
category
3.2. Data Representation
How many variables can we introduce in the same plot?
• Bubble chart
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