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Definitions of Statistics
– Statistics is the practice or science of collecting and analyzing numerical data in large quantities, especially for the purpose of inferring proportions in a whole from those in a representative sample.
– Statistics is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data.
– Statistics is a branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of masses of numerical data
– Statistics is the science that deals with the collection, classification, analysis, and interpretation of numerical facts or data, and that, by use of mathematical theories of probability, imposes order and regularity on aggregates of more or less disparate elements.
– Statistics is an information based on a study of the number of times something happens or is present, or other numerical facts.
– Statistics is the study of collection, analysis, interpretation, presentation, and organization of data. Data refers to crude or uninterrupted information.
– Statistics is the study of methods of collecting, summarizing, analyzing and presenting data in a clear and understandable way by using numbers.
Topic 7: Application Of Statistics – Geography Notes Form 3
Data are exact numerical facts collected systematically and arranged for a particular purpose. Data may be obtained from official sources, government publications, ministry bulletins and international bureau statistics.
Sources of Geographical Data
There are two sources of geographical data which include primary sources and secondary sources.
1. Primary Sources of Geographical Data
These are the data obtained directly from the field through questionnaires, observation, interviews, tests and focus group discussion.
2. Secondary Sources of Geographical Data
These are the data obtained from libraries, magazines, newspapres, published or unpublished documents such as books, journals, maps and other public documents.
Types of Statistical Data
1. Discrete Data: are data which can not take any value within a given set but can only represent a whole number like people and animals, cars, house, livestock, etc. E.g: There were thirty students students or thirty one students
2. Continuous Data: these are data which can take any value within a set of a given  number. These values have fractions and decimal points. Continuous data include those data whose values can be measured like temperature, altitude, height, etc. E.g: 25°C, 680m.
3. Individual Data: these are data provide precise, specific and exact value for each individual item in a sample gicen. Every individual represents its own value. For instance in Vituka High School comprises of five streams A, B, C, D, E and each stream has 45, 63, 42, 51, 51 students respectively. Each figure is thus an exact value for a given class.
4. Grouped Data: this  represent a group of value or class which may fall under one value or class in with no exact figures are quoted but where several values fall within certain classes or groups.
Variable
A variable is anything or characteristic that data may have, or an attribute which changes in value under given conditions. Variables include population size, age, sex, altitude, temperature and time. Variable can be classified into two major forms:
1. An independent variable is a variable factor which influences the changes of other variables or outcomes eg. Sex, year etc. it is expressed on the x-axis. The independent variable is also known as manipulated variable.
2. A dependent variable is an outcome or result that has been influenced by other variables. A dependent variable does not influence or change other variables. The dependent variable responds to independent variable. It is called dependent because it “depends” on the independent variable. For example the higher the attitude the lower the temperature and vise versa, for that reason increase or decrease of temperature depends on attitude.
