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Appendix 10

1998-01-27 1(2)

Some Statistical Termsuseful when planning and carrying out a statistical survey

In this paper a list of common statistical terms is given. The terms are briefly escribe an theyappear in the orer that they occ!r in a s!rvey.

General Problem " problem #hich might be clarifie by a statistical s!rvey. The problemoften concerns vag!e an complicate $!estions. %ne probably has to

collect information from several so!rces in orer to give ans#ers to the$!estions.

Statistical Problem " problem #hich can be solve or e&plaine by means of n!mericalinformation' obtaine thro!gh statistical methos.tarting #ith the general problem a statistical problem is specifie. In orerto ecie #hether a statistical s!rvey can be performe or not' one has totae several things into consieration. %ne has to state the p!rpose of thes!rvey very caref!lly. *stimate time' cost an $!ality are important factorsof the planning process.

Unit " responent' element or ob+ect of #hich one can meas!re one or more properties.*&amples, inivi!al ho!sehol' holing

Target population " clearly efine set of !nits' abo!t #hich one #o!l lie to get certaininformation relate to the statistical an general problem.*&ample, Inivi!als living in retoria an 1' 1998.

Variable " meas!rable property or a characteristic that can vary among the observe!nits." variable is calle

- quantitative if it is n!meric' for e&ample age' height an yiel of mai/e- qualitative if it is non-n!meric' for e&ample se& an type of crop

" variable can be- continuos' that is it can tae any val!e #ithin an interval' for e&ampleheight an yiel- discrete' that is it can only tae certain specifie val!es for e&amplen!mber of chilren

Survey population The collection of !nits that one #ants to investigate #ith respect to thegeneral problem.*&ample, Inivi!als living in retoria an 1' 1997 #ho are still living there

  arin 3in$vist

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arin 3in$vist

4arch 1' 1997

FrameSampling frame

" list or some other recor that is intene to sho# the !nits of the s!rvey pop!lation.

Under-coverage The set of !nits that belong to the s!rvey pop!lation b!t not to the frame.

Over-coverage The set of !nits that oes not belong to the s!rvey pop!lation b!t that isliste in the frame.

Domain of study " portion of the pop!lation for #hich one #ants specific res!lts.Sub-population

ensus " statistical s!rvey #hich covers all !nits in the s!rvey pop!lation.

Sample " portion of the s!rvey pop!lation that is selecte in orer to carry o!t thes!rvey on this portion only.

!nference 5oncl!sions abo!t the s!rvey pop!lation' base on information in thesample.

Tabulation plan " list of raft tables for the presentation of the res!lts of the s!rvey.

Sampling plan " plan #hich sho#s ho# the sample is to be selecte.

Pilot survey " minor s!rvey #hich serves as a test of the meas!rement instr!ment' fore&ample the $!estionnaire' an of other phases of the s!rvey that one may#ant to test.

Data entry The process of entering ata in a comp!ter.

"ec#ing The process of searching for errors in the primary ata.

$diting The process of correcting errors in the primary ata.

Updating The process of maing changes in ata.

$rror The eviation from a tr!e val!e' that is the ifference bet#een the observeor estimate val!e an the tr!e val!e.