Material Detail

Descriptive statistics are frequently treated as a formality, yet a mean reported for skewed data, or a summary that conceals an error in the data set, can mislead a reader before any hypothesis is tested. This article organizes descriptive statistics into four types (frequencies and percentages, central tendency, dispersion and shape) and calculates each common measure on a small data set, set against a second, less variable set for comparison.

It also explains how to choose measures of center and spread according to the level of measurement and the distribution of the data, outlines APA Style conventions for reporting, and presents doctoral extracts that show descriptive results reported and interpreted. It is suited to research-methods and introductory statistics courses at upper-undergraduate, master's and doctoral level. The article is the formal edition of a piece first published by Grad Coach and is released under CC BY 4.0.

This will delete the comment from the database. This operation is not reversible. Are you sure you want to do it?

Thank you for reporting a broken "Go to Material" link in MERLOT to help us maintain a collection of valuable learning materials.

If you feel this material is inappropriate for the MERLOT Collection, please click SEND REPORT, and the MERLOT Team will investigate. Thank you!

You are being taken to the material on another site. This will open a new window.

Do not show me this again