Important Terminologies for Statistics:

Statistics: Statistics is a process of collection of methods for planning

experiments, obtaining data, and then organizing, summarizing, presenting,
analyzing, interpreting, and drawing conclusions.
Variable: A characteristic or attribute which can assume different values.
Random Variable: Whose values are determined by chance.
Population: All subjects which possess a common characteristic that is being
studied.
Sample: A subgroup or subset of the population.
Parameter: It denotes characteristic or measure obtained from a population.
Statistic (not to be confused with Statistics): It is characteristic or measure
obtained from a sample.
Descriptive Statistics: A process of collection, organization, summarization,
and presentation of data.
Inferential Statistics: Drawing conclusion after generalizing from samples to
populations using probabilities. Performing hypothesis testing, determining
relationships between variables, and making predictions.
Qualitative Variables:
Variables assume non-numerical values.
Quantitative Variables:
Variables assume numerical values.
Discrete Variables:
Variables assume a finite or countable number of possible values.
Usually obtained by counting.
Continuous Variables:
Variables assume an infinite number of possible values. Usually It is in
range form.
Nominal Level Scaling:
Level of measurement classifies data into mutually exclusive. It is just
used to identify by assigning numeral values, alphabets or special
characteristics.

Ordinal Level:
Level of measurement which classifies data into categories that can be
ranked.
Interval Level:
Level of measurement which classifies data that can be ranked and
differences are meaningful. However, there is no meaningful zero, so
ratios are meaningless.
Eg. Ramesh got the marks in range of 50-70.
Ratio Level:
Level of measurement which classifies data that can be ranked,
differences are meaningful, and there is a true zero. True ratios exist
between the different units of measure.
Random Sampling:
Sampling in which the data is collected using chance methods or random
numbers.
Systematic Sampling:
Sampling in which data is obtained by selecting every kth object.
Convenience Sampling:
Sampling in which data is which is readily available is used.
Stratified Sampling:
Sampling in which the population is divided into groups (called strata)
according to some characteristic. Each of these strata is then sampled
using one of the other sampling techniques.
Cluster Sampling:
Sampling in which the population is divided into groups (usually
geographically). Some of these groups are randomly selected, and then
all of the elements in those groups are selected.
Raw Data:
Data collected in original form.
Frequency:
The number of times a certain value or class of values occurs.
Frequency Distribution:
The organization of raw data in table form with classes and frequencies.
Grouped Frequency Distribution:
A frequency distribution where several numbers are grouped into one
class.
Class Limits:

Separate one class in a grouped frequency distribution from another. The

limits could actually appear in the data and have gaps between the upper
limit of one class and the lower limit of the next.
Class Width:
This is the difference between the upper and lower boundaries of any
class. The class width is also the difference between the lower limits of
two consecutive classes or the upper limits of two consecutive classes.
Class Mark (Midpoint):
It is the number in the middle of the class. It is found by adding the
upper and lower limits and dividing by two. It can also be found by
adding the upper and lower boundaries and dividing by two.
Cumulative Frequency:
It is the number of values less than the upper class boundary for the
current class. This is a running total of the frequencies.
Relative Frequency:
It is the frequency divided by the total frequency. This gives the percent
of values falling in that class.
Histogram:
It is a graph which displays the data by using vertical bars of various
heights to represent frequencies. The horizontal axis can be either the
class boundaries, the class marks, or the class limits.
Frequency Polygon:
It is a line graph. The frequency is placed along the vertical axis and the
class midpoints are placed along the horizontal axis. These points are
connected with lines.
Ogive :
Ogive is a frequency polygon of the cumulative frequency or the
relative cumulative frequency. The vertical axis the cumulative
frequency or relative cumulative frequency. The horizontal axis is the
class boundaries.
Pareto Chart:
It is a bar graph for qualitative data with the bars arranged according to
frequency.
Pie Chart:
It is a graphical depiction of data as slices of a pie. The frequency
determines the size of the slice. The number of degrees in any slice is the
relative frequency times 360 degrees.
Pictograph:
It is a graph which uses pictures to represent data.

1. Two areas that are influencing and impacting corporations and managers today are the
rapid pace of change and
A)

demographic increases.

B)

complexity of the work environment.

C)

organizational culture changes.

D)

managerial ineptness.

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