Research Methods - Ch. 20 - Basic Data Analysis/Descriptive Statistics

box and whisker plots

Graphic representations of central tendencies, percentiles, variabilities, and the shapes of frequency distributions.

marginals

Row and column totals in a contingency table, which are shown in its margins.

index numbers

Scores or observations recalibrated to indicate how they relate to a base number.

4 Types of Research

- Experimental - Exploratory/ Qualitative - Descriptive/Observational - Casual

contingency table

A data matrix that displays the frequency of some combination of possible responses to multiple variables; cross-tabulation results.

histogram

A graphical way of showing a frequency distribution in which the height of a bar corresponds to the observed frequency of the category.

interquartile range

A measure of variability.

frequency table

A table showing the different ways respondents answered a question.

moderator variable

A third variable that changes the nature of a relationship between the original independent and dependent variables.

outlier

A value that lies outside the normal range of the data.

elaboration analysis

An analysis of the basic cross-tabulation for each level of a variable not previously considered, such as subgroups of the sample.

quadrant analysis

An extension of cross- tabulation in which responses to two rating-scale questions are plotted in four quadrants of a two-dimensional table.

important-performance analysis

Another name for quadrant analysis.

median split

Dividing a data set into two categories by placing respondents below the median in one category and respondents above the median in another.

data transformation

Process of changing the data from their original form to a format suitable for performing a data analysis addressing research objectives.

cross-tabulation

The appropriate technique for addressing research questions involving relationships among multiple less-than interval variables; results in a combined frequency table displaying one variable in rows and another in columns.

descriptive analysis

The elementary transformation of raw data in a way that describes the basic characteristics such as central tendency, distribution, and variability.

statistical base

The number of respondents or observations (in a row or column) used as a basis for computing percentages.

tabulation

The orderly arrangement of data in a table or other summary format showing the number of responses to each response category; tallying.

interpretation

The process of drawing inferences from the analysis results.