Aren data and statistics pretty much the same thing?
A. Though these terms are sometimes used interchangably in casual conversation, they have distinct meanings in a research context. In this context, data is the term used to refer to digital files containing coded information. In data files, digits can represent categorical variables (i. e. 1=male, 2=female, 3=don’t know), or they might indicate actual quantities. Either way, datasets must be accompanied by a codebook or something that explains the meaning of numbers in certain positions. With the codebook as a tool, a researcher can conduct quantitative analysis and ultimately generate meaningful statistics from the data. If you would like to read more about data and statistics, see ICPSR’s Data Use Tutorial.
