Primary data refers to data that are directly collected for specific use in an investigation. Secondary data refers to data that were previously collected for a different or unknown purpose.

Qualitative data are data that are non-numerical, and usually describe a quality of something.

Quantitative data are numerical data that can be counted or measured.

Discrete data can only take specific numerical values.

Continuous data can take any value on a scale to as much precision as we can measure it.

Types of data

Maths

In this unit, pupils are given the opportunity to assess how valid a sample may be and what the averages might tell us. In the future unit, pupils extend their knowledge of averages to stem and leaf diagrams as well as comparing two data sets.

In the prior unit, pupils considered the mean, median and mode and evaluated their usefulness in a variety of contexts. In this unit, pupils are given the opportunity to consider where the data came from and how it was collected and can therefore start to evaluate how good a representation the sample is of the whole population.

Sampling

The type of tree that a bird's nest is in

The number of insects a bird eats in a day

Select all the examples of qualitative data.

Sofia has some qualitative data. Which summary statistic can she use with her data? 

The cost of school meals is qualitative data.

The cost of school meals is quantitative data.

The cost of school meals is continuous data.

The cost of school meals is discrete data.

Andeep collects some data on the cost of meals in the school canteen. Which of these statements are correct?

Lucas measures how much rain fell each week in his garden for a year. He uses a measuring cylinder and records the volume of water collected each week. What type of data has Lucas collected?

Aisha writes an article for the school magazine about transport to school. She uses data from the local bus company on how many buses were late each day. What type of data has Aisha used?

Match each stage of the Statistical Enquiry Cycle to the order it should come in.

Laura has drawn a scatter graph to display her findings. Which stage of the Statistical Enquiry Cycle does this event fit in?

Deciding to research the safety of a new medicine

Looking at results and deciding what they show

Match each stage of the Statistical Enquiry Cycle to an event.

Which stage is missing from this Statistical Enquiry Cycle?

Aisha wants to know what type of music students like for the school prom. She plans to ask 'What type of music do you listen to?'. What statistics can she find with the data from this question?

Sam wants to find out whether pupils who got a high mark in French also did well in English. She collects data for 20 pupils on their end of year exam marks. Sam should draw a {{ }} graph of the data.

Starter Quiz