SDA: Data

Question 1

What is secondary data?

Answer 1

Routinely and regularly collected, collated and presented
Collected for a primary purpose and then made available for secondary purposes
Typically used in descriptive studies

Question 2

What is nominal data?

Answer 2

Discrete data: Whole numbers

Numbers used as labels to indicate certain characteristics e.g. males=1 and females=0

Question 3

What is ordinal data?

Answer 3

Discrete data: whole numbers

Orders individuals/objects

Question 4

What is interval data?

Answer 4

Continuous data: decimal points
Gives the magnitude of the differences separating each observation
Includes negative numbers
Does not need an absolute zero as a baseline

Question 5

What is ratio data?

Answer 5

Continuous data: decimal points
Has a known and absolute origin/baseline
Doesn’t include negative numbers

Question 6

Intensive research

Answer 6

Qualitative

Question 7

Extensive research

Answer 7

Quantitative

Question 8

Why are scales of measurement important?

Answer 8

To ensure that data collected is appropriate for the research question

To inform the appropriate choice of statistical techniques for data analysis and description

Question 9

What are scales of measurement?

Answer 9

Used to categorise and/or quantify variables: nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio scaled

Question 10

What are the properties of measurement that each scale of measurement satisfies?

Answer 10

Nominal: IDENTITY e.g. males=1 females=0

Ordinal: Identity and MAGNITUDE e.g. in a race there is 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, but do not know how much each runner beat the other by

Interval: Identity, Magnitude and EQUAL INTERVALS e.g. Farenheit scale: 50 degree farenheit on Monday, but 60 on Tuesday. Therefore, know it was hotter on Tuesday AND by 10 degrees.

Ratio: Identity, Magnitude, Equal Intervals and MINIMUM VALUE OF ZERO e.g. the weight of an object