TYPES OF DATA

Variable
A variable is a measurable or countable or observable characteristic of objects which has
various values. The value of variables can be divided into two groups namely discrete and
continues. The example of variables are: students’ height in class A, temperature in each
lectures room of a university, motivation in learning process of student Biology department,
gender in class A, etc. When a learning result is defined in class A of 3 rd semester of English
Department, it is called a variable.
Types of Data: This classification system categorizes the variables as being measured on either
nominal, ordinal, cardinal, interval, or ratio scale.

1. Nominal scale

The data is obtained from an observation for which the result is qualitative data.
A qualitative data can be quantified in numeric and be grouped in discrete data. The
numeric symbol used does not represent sequence value; it is a symbol of categorical
characteristics. For example in variable kind of gender, “boy” is represented with 1 and
“girl” is 2. Another examples are the kind of the religions (1=Islam, 2=Christian,
3=Catholic, 4=Hindu, 5=Buddha), kind of marital status (1=single, 2=married,
3=divorced), etc.
2. Ordinal scale
It is the same as nominal scale in which the data is obtained from an observation; the
numeric symbol however uses sequence value. For example in variable motivation to
learn mathematics, it consists of 1=very bad, 2=bad, 3=enough, 4=good, 5=very good. In
this case each number has sequence value, 2 is bigger than 1 and so on.
3. Cardinal scale
Data of this type is taken from counting a variable. The data is in the form of discrete
value which can be presented in cardinal number. For example the number of chairs in
each room of a school, the number of computer set in each classroom in a school, and so
on.
4. Interval scale
This type of data is taken from measuring a variable. The measuring data is assumed
in the group continue data. Quantitative attributes are all measurable on interval scales, as
any difference between the levels of an attribute can be multiplied by any real number to
 exceed or equal another difference. A highly familiar example of interval scale
measurement is temperature with the Celsius scale.
5. Ratio scale
Ratio scale is almost the same as interval scale, for which the data is found by
measuring. The difference is that a ratio scale has an absolute null. For example a mass
of something, when this thing has zero value, it means there is no substance of this thing.
In interval scales, there is no absolute zero point.
How can we find the data of variables in its characteristic scales?

It is easy to find the data of variables through counting and measuring. The
characteristic of the variables can be counted or measured directly with appropriate
equipments. For example: data of height and temperature are taken in metres and
thermometer units respectively; data amount of people each class, sum of computers in
each room can be counted directly. We have a little bit problems to convert the qualitative
data from observable variables to symbolize in quantitative data. For example: To convert
the nominal scale data of kind of gender is quite clear 1 for “boy” and 2 for “girl”. But
converting an ordinal scale to quantitative score, it is not easy. Normally people use
scoring for observable variable motivation like: 1=very bad, 2=bad, 3=enough, 4=good,
5=very good. We directly come to the question, what are the differences between 1 and 2,
or between 2 and 3 and so on. In this case the observer must make a certain rule about
scoring before he/she does the observation.

5. How can we think about transformation scale data to each other with formulas?
Some times it can happen that data scale is exchangeable one to another.
Changing from the ratio or interval scale to ordinal scale is possible. For example the
ratio scale variable learning achievement is converted in ordinal scale through the rules
score that score less than 50 is bad (transformed by 1), score 50 to 70 is normal
(transformed by 2) and score more than 70 is good (transform by 3). But we cannot do it
backward. Transform the cardinal scale to interval or ratio scale is impossible. Even
though there are special formulas, but there are not enough good theories to support the
formulas.

Make a summary or resume about the article above in English and in Indonesian.