The terms “data” and “statistics” may often be used interchangeably, but in the worlds of research and academia it is important to understand the difference.
- Data refers to the most granular level of information to describe some products of research. It could be numbers or individual observations logged in a spreadsheet during an experiment.
- Statistics refers to some kind of synthesis of that data. It could be a calculated average (mean) or some expression of how a variable changes over time.
How to Get Started
- Develop a research question and clarify what type of data you will need
- Search for literature, data and statistics (from Lenoir-Rhyne Univ Library) to answer your research question
- Create a plan to manage your research data (from the National Library of Medicine)
- Identify and use tools to help you visualize your data to tell a story
To get started on finding data-related resources, go to the Library's A-Z list and select "Dataset" from the All databases dropdown menu.