Bachiller

Descriptive Statistics
Summary: This handout explains how to write with statistics including quick tips, writing descriptive statistics, writing inferential statistics, and using visuals withstatistics.
Contributors:Reuben Ternes
Last Edited: 2010-04-21 07:46:35
The mean, the mode, the median, the range, and the standard deviation are all examples of descriptive statistics. Descriptivestatistics are used because in most cases, it isn't possible to present all of your data in any form that your reader will be able to quickly interpret.

Generally, when writing descriptive statistics,you want to present at least one form of central tendency (or average), that is, either the mean, median, or mode. In addition, you should present one form of variability, usually the standarddeviation.

Measures of Central Tendency and Other Commonly Used Descriptive Statistics

The mean, median, and the mode are all measures of central tendency. They attempt to describe what the typical datapoint might look like. In essence they are all different forms of 'the average.' When writing statistics, you never want to say 'average' because it is difficult, if not impossible, for your readerto understand if you are referring to the mean, the median, or the mode.

The Mean

The mean is the most common form of central tendency, and is what most people usually are referring to when thesay average. It is simply the total sum of all the numbers in a data set, divided by the total number of data points. For example, the following data set has a mean of 4: {-1, 0, 1, 16}. That is, 16divided by 4 is 4. If there isn't a good reason to use one of the other forms of central tendency, then you should use the mean to describe the central tendency.

The Median

The median is simplythe middle value of a data set. In order to calculate the median, all values in the data set need to be ordered, from either highest to lowest, or vice versa. If there are an odd number of values in a...