Sampling technique

Sampling is that part of statistical practice concerned with the selection of an unbiased or random subset
of individual observations within a population of individuals intended to yield some knowledge about
the population of concern, especially for the purposes of making predictions based on statistical
inference. Sampling is an important aspect of data collection.

Statistic

A statistic (singular) is the result of applying a function (statistical algorithm) to a set of data.More

formally, statistical theory defines a statistic as a function of a sample where the function itself is
independent of the sample's distribution: the term is used both for the function and for the value of the
function on a given sample.A statistic is distinct from an unknown statistical parameter, which is not
computable from a sample. A statistic used to estimate a parameter is called an estimator. For instance,
thesample mean is a statisticand an estimator for the population mean, which is a parameter.

Statistics

Statistics is the science of making effective use of numerical data relating to groups of individuals or

experiments. It deals with all aspects of this, including not only the collection, analysis and interpretation
of such data, but also the planning of the collection of data, in terms of the design
of surveys and experiments.[1]

Parameter

In mathematics, statistics, and the mathematical sciences, a parameter (G: auxiliary measure) is a

quantity that serves to relate functions and variables using a common variable (often t) when such a
relationship would be difficult to explicate with an equation. In different contexts the term may have
special uses.

Population

A population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a

collection of humanbeings. Statistical study of human populations occurs within the discipline
of demography. This article refers mainly to human population.

Finite Population:
            A population is called finite if it is possible to count its individuals. It
may also be called a countable population. The number of vehicles crossing a
bridge every day, the number of births per years and the number of words in
a book are finite populations. The number of units in a finite population is
denoted by N. Thus N is the size of the population.

Infinite Population:
 Sometimes it is not possible to count the units contained in the population.
Such a population is called infinite or uncountable. Let us suppose that we
want to examine whether a coin is true or not. We shall toss it a very large
number of times to observe the number of heads. All the tosses will make an
infinite or countable infinite population. The number of germs in the body of
a patient of malaria is perhaps something which is uncountable.

Inferential statistics

are used to draw inferences about a population from a sample.Consider an experiment

in which 10 subjects who performed a task after 24 hours of sleep deprivation scored
12 points lower than 10 subjects who performed after a normal night's sleep. Is the
difference real or could it be due to chance? How much larger could the real
difference be than the 12 points found in the sample? These are the types of questions
answered by inferential statistics. 
Descriptive statistics

 are used to describe the main features of a collection of data in quantitative terms. Descriptive statistics
are distinguished from inferential statistics (or inductive statistics), in that descriptive statistics aim to
quantitatively summarize a data set, rather than being used to support inferential statements about
the population that the data are thought to represent. Even when a data analysis draws its main
conclusions using inductive statistical analysis, descriptive statistics are generally presented along with
more formal analyses. For example in a paper reporting on a study involving human subjects, there
typically appears a table giving the overall sample size, sample sizes in important subgroups (e.g. for
each treatment or exposure group), and demographic or clinical characteristics such as the average age,
the proportion of subjects with each gender, and the proportion of subjects with relatedcomorbidities.

Variable may refer to:

 Variable (mathematics), a symbol that stands for a value that may vary
 Variable (programming), a symbolic name associated with a value and whose associated value
may be changed
 Variable star, a type of star (as in astronomical object)

Variable may refer to:

 Variable (mathematics), a symbol that stands for a value that may vary
 Variable (programming), a symbolic name associated with a value and whose associated value
may be changed
 Variable star, a type of star (as in astronomical object)
Continuous Variable

 A continuous variable is one for which, within the limits the variable ranges,
any value is possible. For example, the variable "Time to solve an anagram
problem" is continuous since it could take 2 minutes, 2.13 minutes etc. to finish
a problem. The variable "Number of correct answers on a 100 point multiple-
choice test" is not a continuous variable since it is not possible to get 54.12
problems correct. A variable that is not continuous is called "discrete". 

 Dependent Variable:

 A dependent variable is what you measure in the experiment and what is

affected during the experiment. The dependent variable responds to the
independent variable. It is called dependent because it "depends" on the
independent variable. In a scientific experiment, you cannot have a dependent
variable without an independent variable.

 Example: You are interested in how stress affects heart rate in humans. Your
independent variable would be the stress and the dependent variable would be
the heart rate. You can directly manipulate stress levels in your human subjects
and measure how those stress levels change heart rate.

Independent variable
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An independent variable is used in statistics to predict or explain a dependent variable.

For example, Age and Gender might be used as independent variables to predict average age of death (a
dependent variable).

In experimental designs, the independent variables are manipulated by the researcher (e.g., different
dosages of a drug). In quasi-experimental and non-experimental designs, the independent variables may
be naturally-occurring, non-manipulated variables which are measured and used to predict variations in
the dependent variables.

Discrete Variable

A discrete variable is one that cannot take on all values within the limits of the
variable. For example, responses to a five-point rating scale can only take on
the values 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The variable cannot have the value 1.7. A variable
such as a person's height can take on any value. Variables that can take on any
value and therefore are not discrete are called continuous.
Evaluation is systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or
someone using criteria against a set of standards. Evaluation often is used to characterize and
appraise subjects of interest in a wide range of human enterprises, including the arts, criminal
justice, foundations and non-profit organizations, government, health care, and other human
services.

Secondary data is data collected by someone other than the user. Common sources of
secondary data for social science include censuses, surveys, organizational records and data
collected through qualitative methodologies or qualitative research. Primary data, by contrast, are
collected by the investigator conducting the research.