What is the difference between a data variable and an imputed variable?
A data variable is one that is documented directly from one of the primary sources that provide evidence of a slaving voyage. An imputed variable is not documented directly, but is inferred by historians from data variables. The essay, “Construction of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database: Methods and Sources,” located in “Understanding the Database,” a subsection of “The Database,” explains the assumptions and basis of all imputed variables. On the website, they are indicated by an asterisk following the variable name. Variables with asterisks are imputed. Variables without asterisks are data variables.
