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Everything about Descriptive statistics

Type of statistics

A descriptive statistic is a summary statistic that quantitatively describes or summarizes features from a collection of information, while descriptive statistics is the process of using and analysing those statistics. Descriptive statistics is distinguished from inferential statistics by its aim to summarize a sample, rather than use the data to learn about the population that the sample of data is thought to represent. This generally means that descriptive statistics, unlike inferential statistics, is not developed on the basis of probability theory, and are frequently nonparametric statistics. Even when a data analysis draws its main conclusions using inferential statistics, descriptive statistics are generally also presented. For example, in papers reporting on human subjects, typically a table is included giving the overall sample size, sample sizes in important subgroups, and demographic or clinical characteristics such as the average age, the proportion of subjects of each sex, the proportion of subjects with related co-morbidities, etc. Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: Descriptive statisticsA 5-minute orientation
  2. Skim a recent paper: Quality Analysis of Photovoltaic System Using Descriptive Statistics of Power Performance IndexInfluential work since 2022
  3. Pick up a classic book: The Return of the NativeThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  4. Read the landmark paper: Descriptive statistics for multivariate distributionsCited 355 times
  5. Go sideways: Univariate (statistics)A closely related topic
  6. Go sideways: Summary statisticsA closely related topic

📖 Definitions

Noun A branch of statistics dealing with summarization and description of collections of data—data sets, including the concepts of arithmetic mean, median, mode, and quantile.

🗂️ The subject at a glance

  1. Use in statistical analysis

🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

🆕 Influential since 2022

📚 Books worth reading

Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.

🔗 Related topics