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Ordinal Data
Delamie A. Olicia
MAED Major in Filipino
 Ordinal Data
In statistics, ordinal data refers to categorical data where the
categories have a natural order or ranking. Examples include
survey responses like "strongly disagree," "disagree,"
"neutral," "agree," and "strongly agree," or educational
levels such as "elementary school," "high school," "college,"
and "graduate school."
Levels of Measurement
Ordinal is the second of 4 hierarchy
levels of measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval,
and ratio.
The levels of measurement indicate how precisely
data is recorded.
While nominal and ordinal variables are
categorical, interval and ratio variables are
quantitative.
 Example of Ordinal Scale
In social scientific research, ordinal variables often include ratings about opinions
or perceptions, or demographic factors that are categorized into levels or brackets
(such as social status or income).

Variable Ordinal Values

• Beginner
Language ability
• Intermediate
• Fluent
• Strongly disagree
• Disagree
Level of agreement • Neither agree nor disagree
• Agree
• Strongly agree
• Lower-level income
Income level • Middle-level income
• Upper-level income
 How to collect ordinal data
Ordinal variables are usually assessed using
closed-ended survey questions that give
participants several possible answers to
choose from. These are user-friendly and let
you easily compare data between
participants.
 Examples of ordinal scale
survey questions
Question Options
• 0-18
• 19-34
What is your age? • 35-49
• 50+
• Primary school
• High school
• Bachelor’s degree
What is your education level? • Master’s degree
• PhD
Examples of ordinal scale
survey questions
Question •
Options
None
In the past three months, how • 1-4 times
many times did you buy • 5-9 times
groceries online? • 10-14 times
• 15 or more
times
 Choosing the level of measurement
Some types of data can be recorded at more than one level. For
example, for the variable of age:

You could collect ordinal data by asking participants to select from

four age brackets.

The more precise level is always preferable for collecting data

because it allows you to perform more mathematical operations and
statistical analyses.
 Likert Scale Data
In the social sciences, ordinal data is often collected using Likert scales.
Likert scales are made up of 4 or more Likert-type questions with continuums
of response items for participants to choose from.

Examples of Likert-type questions

How frequently do you buy energy efficient products?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always

How important do you think it is to use social media?

Not important Slightly important Important Moderately important Very important

Since these values have a natural order, they are sometimes coded into
numerical values. For example, 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 =
Often, and 5 = Always.
 How do you create a bar graph
for ordinal data
When presenting ordinal data using a bar graph, it is
important to maintain the order of the categories.
Vertical Bar Graph (Column Chart):
Use a vertical bar graph where the x-axis represents the
ordinal categories, and the y-axis represents the
frequency or percentage of responses in each category.
Arrange the categories on the x-axis from lowest to
highest according to their ordinal rank.
Horizontal Bar Graph:
Alternatively, you can use a horizontal bar
graph where the y-axis represents the ordinal
categories, and the x-axis represents the
frequency or percentage.
Again, arrange the categories from lowest to
highest on the y-axis.
Labeling:
Label the axes clearly, indicating the categories and the
units of measurement (frequency or percentage).
Provide a title that describes the data and the variable
being measured.
Color and Design:
Use different colors or patterns for each category to make
the graph visually appealing and easy to interpret.
Ensure that the design elements (like grid lines, if used)
do not overshadow the data itself.
Interpretation:
Interpret the graph by analyzing which categories have
the highest or lowest frequencies or percentages.
Describe any trends or patterns observed in the data,
considering the ordinal nature of the categories.
 Example
You ask 30 survey participants to indicate their level of agreement with the statement below:

Regular physical exercise is important for my mental health.

Strongly disagree Disagree Neither disagree nor agree Agree Strongly agree

To get an overview of your data, you can create a frequency distribution table that tells you how
many times each response was selected.
Example: Frequency Distribution Table
Agreement Level Frequency Level

Strongly DisAgree 2

Disagree 2

Neither Disagree nor agree 8

agree 13

strongly agree 5
To visualize your data, you can present it on a bar graph. Plot your categories on the x-axis and the
frequencies on the y-axis.
Unlike with nominal data, the order of categories matters when displaying ordinal data.
 Example
Suppose you conducted a survey asking respondents
to rate their satisfaction with a product on a scale from
1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied). You collected
the following data:

10 respondents rated 1 (very dissatisfied)

15 respondents rated 2 (dissatisfied)
20 respondents rated 3 (neutral)
25 respondents rated 4 (satisfied)
30 respondents rated 5 (very satisfied)
Frequency Distribution Table
Satisfaction Level Frequency Level

VERY DISSATISIFIED 10

Dissatisfied 15

NEUTRAL 20

SATISFIED 25

VERY SATISFIED 30
To visualize your data, you can present it on a bar graph. Plot your categories on the x-axis and the
frequencies on the y-axis.

How satisfied are you in using Keratin

Shampoo?
35
30
25
quency

20
Fre-

15
10
5
0
VERY DISSAT- DISSATISFIED NEUTRAL SATISFIED VERY SATISFIED
ISFIED
Satisfaction Level
Activity Create a bar graph using the
following data.
You ask 100 survey participants to indicate their level of happiness with the question
below:

How do you feel today?

1-Very Unhappy 2-Unhappy 3-Ok 4-Happy 5-Very Happy

You collected the following data:

5 respondents rated 1 (Very Unhappy)
10 respondents rated 2 (Unhappy)
15 respondents rated 3 (Ok)
25 respondents rated 4 (Happy)
45 respondents rated 5 (Very Happy)
 k you!
Than