Chapter 1 M1: Welcome to Data!

This module’s focus is data – how we collect information, store it, and talk about it. Some key skills are:

• Describe the organization of a dataset (cases, variables, etc.)
• Distinguish between variable types (numeric/quantitative, categorical, ordinal, etc.), and identify the type of a variable
• Distinguish between observational and experimental data, and talk about why we care
• Define a sample vs. a population
• Describe some key methods of sampling (convenience :(, simple random, stratified, cluster) and how they might be applied to a given population
• Describe the basic principles of experiments (control, randomization, replication, blocking, and blinding/placebos) and how they might be applied in a given situation