What are Data?

Data are information that gets collected in surveys, research, and other experiments. Also known as datasets, this information is usually in a table format and can be loaded into programs like SAS, SPSS, or Excel for further analysis.

Data can be qualitative or quantitative.

• Quantitative data focuses on the quantity of something. This means the information is counted and/or has a numerical value. An example would be like census data for the state of Texas.
• Qualitative data focuses on the quality of something. This means the information is descriptive of the size, appearance, or value of information and can be modified by terms like very. An example of qualitative data would be answers to an interview during a memory study.