Data collection & management

Question 1

levels of measurement

Answer 1

ratio (highest) - interval - ordinal - nominal/categorical (lowest)

Question 2

nominal level

Answer 2

aka categorical

data organized into categories that are exclusive but can’t be compared/rank-ordered

eg "please indicate your race"
1. white
2. black
3. asian
4 american indian
5. pacific islander

*limited to summary stats (ie Chi-sq)

Question 3

ordinal level

Answer 3

data can be ranked, but intervals are not necessarily equal

eg “I am having…”

1. no pain
2. very mild pain
3. moderate pain
4. severe pain
5. worst pain I’ve ever experienced

Question 4

interval level

Answer 4

distances b/w intervals are numerically equal

like ordinal scales have mutually exclusive categories, exhaustive categories and rank ordering

values presumed to lie on a continuum, and change can be precisely measured

absolute amount of an attribute can’t be precisely measured (no zero point on scale)

Question 5

ratio level

Answer 5

mutually exclusive categories, exhaustive categories, rank ordering, equal spacing b/w intervals, continuum of values (like interval level)

have absolute zero point

• document absence of some quality
• say that something weighs twice as much as another

Question 6

4 factors of decision-making for data collection modes

Answer 6

• purpose and complexity
• availability of financial/physical resources
• characteristics of study participants and gaining access to them from the population
• skills/preferences as a researcher