DATA ANALYTICS

Dr. Nermin Gohar – Week One

Topic One - Outline
Introduction to Quantitative Analysis

Quantitative versus Qualitative Concept

Introduction to Quantitative Analysis

◦ Numerical representation of data and tabulation to be able to make decisions.

◦ Example of Quantitative Analysis is statistical analysis, optimization, inventory

management.

◦ Unlike qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis deals with data presented in

numbers.
Terminologies
◦ Variable: It is the attribute that changes in its value from one observation to another, without being
unique for a certain observation.
◦ Example for Variables: Gender, Age, Weight, Height.
◦ Some other are not variables and they are called identifiers, such as registration number, social security
number, telephone number.

◦ Observation: It is the unit of analysis or the element that you are gathering data about it.
◦ Example: if you are collecting the students scores in statistics, the observations here are the students.
Quantitative versus Qualitative Variables
A. Qualitative or Attribute variable - the characteristic being studied is nonnumeric.

EXAMPLES: Gender, religious affiliation, type of automobile owned, state of birth, eye color are
examples.

B. Quantitative variable - information is reported numerically.

EXAMPLES: balance in your checking account, minutes remaining in class, or number of children
in a family.
 Classification of Quantitative Variables
Quantitative variables can be classified as either discrete or continuous.

A. Discrete variables: can only assume certain values and there are usually “gaps” between values.

EXAMPLE: the number of bedrooms in a house, or the number of hammers sold at the local Home Depot
(1,2,3,…,etc).

B. Continuous variable can assume any value within a specified range.

EXAMPLE: The pressure in a tire, the weight of a pork chop, or the height of students in a class.
Types of Variables
Types of Variables

Qualitative Quantitative

Nominal
Continuous Discrete
Ordinal
Brand of PC.
Marital Status. Children in a family.
Hair Color. Weight of a student. Strokes on a gold hole.
Amount of a rainfall. TV sets owned.
Amount of income tax paid.

Students Grades
 Measurement Levels
Nominal level - data that is classified into categories and cannot be arranged in any particular order.

It can only be used as frequencies.

EXAMPLES: eye color, gender, religious affiliation, Which newspaper paper do you read
regularly?

Ordinal level – involves data arranged in some order, but the differences between data values cannot be
determined or are meaningless.

EXAMPLES: During a taste test of 4 soft drinks, Mellow Yellow was ranked number 1, Sprite
number 2, Seven-up number 3, and Orange Crush number 4, Grades, Races.
 Measurement Levels
Interval level – It is another expression for the discrete variables, where data is presented in whole
numbers.

EXAMPLE: Number of children, Number of cars in a parking.

Ratio level – It is another expression of the continuous variables, where data could be represented in
decimals.

EXAMPLES: Monthly income of surgeons, or distance traveled by manufacturer’s representatives per

month.
Measurement Levels
Levels of Measurement

Nominal Ordinal Interval Ratio

Data may be only

Data are ranked. Data is whole numbers. Data is continuous
classified.

Temperature.
Car Brand. Your rank in class. Number of patients
Distance to class.
 Population versus Sample
Data for variables are collected from Population or Sample:

A population is a collection of all possible individuals, objects, or measurements of interest.

A sample is a portion, or part, of the population of interest

THANK YOU
Questions?