23-10-16

Data description
(descriptive statistics)
Magdy Ibrahim Mostafa
Prof. Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University
Director; Research, Biostatistics & IT Units, MEDC, Cairo University
Management member; EBM Unit, MEDC, Cairo University
Scientific Council Member, Egyptian Ob/Gyn Fellowship
Scientific Council Member, Egyptian IT Fellowship
Scientific Council Member, Arab Diploma of Biostatistics
Associate Editor; Kasr Al Aini Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Peer Reviewer; Obst. Gynecol., Gyn Endocrinol, Gyn Oncol, Obstet Gynecol Invest, Prenatal diagnosis J
Peer Reviewer; Cairo University Medical Journal, Kasr El Aini Medical Journal, MEFS Journal
Certified International Professional Trainer (CIPT), Management Development Institute, Missouri, USA
 23-10-16

Descriptive Statistics
The aim of data description is to summarize
large amounts of data using a few meaningful numbers

Magdy Ibrahim

Summary of data description

Normal Mean ± SD

Quantitative
Non-normal Median + Range

Ordinal

Qualitative
Nominal Frequency
 23-10-16

Measures of Dispersion

Centiles:

Quartiles

Deciles

Percentiles

Suitable with median

Interquartile range (IQR):

It represents the range including the 2nd & 3rd quartiles

It represents the middle ½ of data

Indicated when data contains outliers

Magdy Ibrahim

IQR

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Magdy Ibrahim
 23-10-16

Measures of Dispersion

3- Standard deviation (SD):

The more the SD the more the variation and vice versa

More sensitive than the range (affected by every value)

There is no range for SD

The value of SD has nothing to do with the goodness of data

Range is NOT the mean ± SD

When the SD is > ½ mean
Data are mostly not normal

Magdy Ibrahim

Magdy Ibrahim