University of Gondar

Phone: 0920190998 E-Mail: bisratcsa@gmail.com

Prepared By: Bisrat Misganaw

Department of Statistics
Statistical Applications in the
Garment Industry

Greg 4171
 Unit-one
Introduction to Statistics
1. Definition
• The term statistics have two definitions;
– When used in singular sense
– When used in its plural sense

• In its plural sense, it is equivalent to numerical facts,

figures or measurements.

• But all numerical figures are not statistics.

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 Definition …
Statistics in its singular sense:

The branch of applied research that deals with the

development and application of methods for
collecting, organizing, presenting, analysing and
interpreting of numerical data.

• According to its singular definition we have five steps

in any statistical investigation.

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 Steps …
1. Collection of data
 The process of obtaining measurements or counts.

2. Organization of data
Includes editing, classifying, and tabulating the data
collected.

3. Presentation of data:
overall view of what the data actually looks like.
facilitate further statistical analysis.
Can be done in the form of tables and graphs or
diagrams.

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 Steps …
4. Analysis of data
 To dig out useful information for decision making
 It involves extracting relevant information from the
data (like mean, median, mode, range, variance…),
5. Interpretation of data
 Concerned with drawing conclusions from the data
collected and analyzed; and giving meaning to
analysis results.
 A difficult task and requires a high degree of skill and
experience.
 Branches of Statistics
 Descriptive statistics
 Inferential statistics

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 Classes of statistics
Descriptive statistics
 A statistical method that is concerned with the
collection, organization, summarization, and analysis
of data from a sample of population.

Inferential statistics
 A statistical method that is concerned with the
drawing conclusions/infering about a particular
population by selecting and measuring a random
sample from the population.

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 Types of Variables and Measurement Scales
A variable is a characteristic or attribute that can assume different
values in different persons, places, or things.
Examples :
 age,
 diastolic blood pressure,
 heart rate,
 the height of adult males,
 the weights of preschool children,
 gender of statistics students,
 marital status of instructors at Bahirdar University,
 ethnic group of patients
Data refers to a collection of facts, values, observations, or
measurements that the variables can assume.
 3. Types of Variables/Data

A. On the basis of information contained by the data

1. Qualitative Variables/data
 Non-numeric variables and can't be measured.
Examples: gender, religious affiliation, and state of birth,
marital status of patients,

2. Quantitative Variables/data
 numerical variables and can be measured. E.g.
balance in checking account, number of children in
family.
 Either discrete (Assuming only count values) or
continuous, which can assume any value within a
specific range.

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 Discrete Variables
• are variables which assume a finite or countable number of
possible values.
• are usually obtained by counting.
• is characterized by gaps or interruptions in the values that it
can assume. These gaps or interruptions indicate the absence
of values between particular values that the variable can
assume.
Example:
• The number of daily admissions to a general hospital, and
• The number of first year statistics students
• The number of decayed, missing or filled teeth per child in an
elementary school.
 Continuous Variables
• are variables which assume an infinite number of
possible values between any two specific values.
• are usually obtained by measurement.
• does not possess the gaps or interruptions
characteristic of a discrete variable.
Example:
• Weight, age, length, temperature, weight, speed,
salary and mark of students
 Types of Data…
B. On the basis of the measurement scales :

1.The nominal data

 Only "naming" and classifying observations is
possible. When numbers are assigned to categories,
it is only for coding purposes and it does not provide
a sense of size.

Example: Sex of a person (M, F), eye color (e.g. brown,

blue), religion (Muslim, Christian), place of residence
(urban, rural) etc.

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 Types of Data…
2. Ordinal scale
Categorization and ranking (ordering)
observations is possible.
We can talk of greater than or less than and it
conveys meaning to the value but;
Impossible to express the real difference between
measurements in numerical terms.

Examples: Socio-economic status (very low, low,

medium, high, very high), severity(mild, moderate,
sever), blood pressure (very low, low, high, very high
etc.

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 Types of Data…
3. Interval Scale
– Possible to categorize, rank and tell the real
distance between any two measurements.
– Zero is not absolute.

Examples: Body temperature in OF or OC (measured in

degrees).
It is meaningful to say the difference between 30oC &
40 oC and 25oC & 35oC is equal (i.e. 10 oC).

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 Types of Data…
4. Ratio scale
– The highest level of measurement scale,
characterized by the fact that equality of ratios as
well as equality of intervals can be determined.
– There is a true zero point. i.e. zero is absolute.

Example: volume, height, weight, length, number of

items, etc.

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 Types of Data…
C. On the basis of their source :
1. Primary data
 Data generated for the first time primarily/originally for
the study in question.
2. Secondary data
Data obtained from other pre-existing/ priorly collected
sources.

D. On the basis of role of time:

1. Cross-sectional data
– observations taken at one point in time.
2. Time series data
– observations taken for a series of periods, usually at
equal intervals, may be on a weekly, monthly, quarterly,
yearly, etc, basis. 17
 Definition of Some Basic terms
• population: is the complete set of possible
measurements for which inferences are to be
made.
• Census: a complete enumeration of the
population. But in most real problems it
cannot be realized, hence we take sample.
• Sample: A sample from a population is the set
of measurements that are actually collected in
the course of an investigation.
 ....Cont
• Parameter: Characteristic or measure
obtained from a population.
• 5. Statistic: Characteristic or measure
obtained from a sample.
• 6. Sampling: The process or method of
sample selection from the population.
• 7. Sample size: The number of elements or
observation to be included in the sample.
• 8. Variable: It is an item of interest that can
take on many different numerical values.
 Exercise-1
The following are list of different attributes/ variables or data.
Classify the variables/data in to different measurement scales.
1. Your checking account number as a name for your account.
2. Your score on statistics test as a measure of your knowledge of
statistics.
3. A response to the statement "Abortion is a woman's right"
where "Strongly Disagree" = 1, "Disagree" = 2, "No Opinion" = 3,
"Agree" = 4, and "Strongly Agree" = 5, as a measure of attitude
toward abortion.
4. Times for swimmers to complete a 50-meter race
5. Months of the year as September, October…
6. Economic status of a family when classified as low, middle and
upper classes.
7. Blood type of individuals as A, B, AB and O.
8. Regions of Ethiopia as region 1, region 2, region 3…

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