MATH 124 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Data Set, San Francisco State University
Document Summary
A data set is the totality of the data obtained from the sample. For example, if you have weighed five containers and the weights obtained are 6, 8, 11, 34 and 2 kilos, those five numbers (6, 8, 11, 34, 2) form your data set. If you only note the size of the container (e. g. small, medium, or large), the data set could be as follows: medium, medium, medium, large, small. A variable is a characteristic or a numerical value that varies for each individual. A variable can represent the result of a count (for example, the number of pets you have) or a measurement (the time it takes you to get up in the morning). Or the variable can be categorical, so that each person is included in a group (or category) according to certain criteria (e. g. , political affiliation, race, or marital status). The information elements recorded about units of analysis in relation to a variable are the data.
