DATA ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARIZATION

• Proportion: Compares number of cases to the total size of distribution
• Percentage: Frequency of occurrence of a category per 100 cases
• Ratio: Compares number of cases falling into one category with the number of cases falling into another category
• Rates indicate comparisons between the number of actual cases and the number of potential cases
• Formula: Rate = (actual cases / potential cases) x base rate
• Cumulative frequencies - total number of cases having any given score
• Cumulative percentage - percentage of cases having any score
• Bar Graph - widely used in social research for nominal and ordinal data
• Histogram - frequency distribution for ranges of values, ideal for continuous variables
• Pie Chart - used with categorical or nominal variables to display frequency or percent of cases
• Line Graph - used to display mean differences, commonly used for differences over time or conditions