Collecting Data

Statistics · Axiom Academy

Understanding different methods for gathering statistical data and when to use each approach Definition: A survey collects information by asking individuals questions about their opinions, behaviors, or characteristics. Self-reported data: Participants provide their own answers Efficient for large populations: Can reach many people quickly Good for opinions and attitudes: Captures subjective information Studying public opinion or customer satisfaction Collecting demographic information Understanding behaviors or preferences Response bias (people may not answer truthfully) Non-response bias (some groups may not participate) Question wording can influence results Definition: An experiment involves deliberately manipulating one or more variables to observe their effect on an outcome, while controlling other factors. Control group: Not exposed to the treatment Treatment group: Receives the intervention being tested Random assignment: Participants randomly placed in groups Control of variables: Keep other factors constant Testing cause-and-effect relationships Evaluating new treatments or interventions When you can ethically and practically manipulate variables Can establish causation (not just correlation) High internal validity when well-designed Definition: Researchers observe and measure variables without manipulating or intervening in the natural setting. Cross-sectional: Data collected at a single point in time Longitudinal: Same subjects followed over time

This is the written version of the interactive lesson above. See the full Statistics course.