Descriptive Statistics

    This week explores the many ways that you can describe data, or use descriptive statistics, as the first step in your analyses. Descriptive statistics provide an overview of the basic features of a data set; it may be helpful to think of descriptive statistics as a simple summary of your data. But these simple summaries are vitally important! Think about a class that you have taken that began as a struggle, though eventually, you mastered the material. Do you agree that your score on the first assignment or test was not the best representation of your potential? Instead, you would agree that your average score, or the scores that you received most often, or even your range of scores are better representations of your success in that course.