Chapter 1. Data Characteristics

Data consists of observations across different types of variables, and it is vital that any data analyst understands these intricacies at the earliest stage of exposure to statistical analysis. This chapter recognizes the importance of data and begins with a template of a dummy questionnaire and then proceeds with the nitty-gritties of the subject. We will then explain how uncertainty creeps in to the domain of computer science. The chapter closes with coverage of important families of discrete and continuous random variables.

We will cover the following topics:

• Identification of the main variable types as nominal, categorical, and continuous variables
• The uncertainty arising in many real experiments
• R installation and packages
• The mathematical form of discrete and continuous random variables and their applications