PRACTICAL 1

DATA-ITS SOURCE AND COMPILATION

DATA
The data are defined as numbers that represent measurements from the real world
Eg. 20 cm of rain in Barmer

INFORMATION
It can be defined as a meaningful answer to a query.

NEED OF DATA
Data plays an important role in geographical analysis.
Eg. Data related to the total population, density, number of migrants, occupation of people, their salaries,
industries, means of transportation and communication is needed to study the growth of a city.

SOURCES OF DATA
The data are collected through the following ways
1. Primary sources
2. Secondary sources

Primary sources
The data which are collected for the first time by an individual or the group of individuals,
institutions/organizations are called primary sources of the data

Secondary sources
The data collected from any published or unpublished sources are called secondary sources

Sources of primary data

1. Personal observations
It refers to the collection of information by an individual or group of individuals through direct
observations in the field.

2. Interview
In this method the researcher gets direct information from the respondent through dialogues and
conversation.

3. Questionnaire/Schedule
In this method simple questions and their possible answers are written on a plain paper and the
respondents have to tick mark the possible answers from the given choices. At times a set of
structured questions are written and sufficient space is provided in the questionnaire where the
respondent write their opinion. The difference between the questionnaire and the schedule is that the
respondent himself fills up the questionnaires whereas a properly trained enumerator himself fills up
schedules by asking questions addressed to the respondents.

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 4. Other methods
The data about the properties of soil and water are collected directly in the field by measuring their
characteristics using soil kit and water quality kit and that of health of the crops and vegetation using
transducers.

SECONDARY SOURCES OF DATA

Secondary sources of data consist of published and unpublished records.

Published sources

1. Government publications
The publications of the various ministries and the departments of the government of India, state
governments and the district bulletins are one of the most important sources of secondary
information.
Eg. Census of India

2. Semi/quasi government publications

The publications and reports of urban development authorities and municipal corporations of various
cities and towns, zila parishads etc fall in this category.

3. International publications
The international publications comprise yearbooks, reports and monographs published by different
agencies of the United Nations
Eg. Human development report

4. Private publications
This includes yearbooks, surveys, research reports and monographs published by newspapers and
private organization.

5. Newspapers and magazines

The daily newspapers and the weekly, fortnightly and monthly magazines are easily accessible source
of secondary data.

6. Electronic media
The electronic media especially internet has emerged as a major source of secondary data

Unpublished sources

1. Government documents
The unpublished reports, monographs and documents prepared and maintained at different levels of
governance

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 Eg. The village level revenue records in village office

2. Quasi government records

The periodical reports and the development plans prepared and maintained by different municipal
corporations, district councils and civil service departments.

3. Private documents
These include unpublished reports and records of companies, trade unions different political and
apolitical organizations and resident welfare associations.
METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION

PRIMARY DATA SECONDARY DATA

PERSONAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE/ OTHER METHODS

OBSERVATION SCHEDULE

PUBLISHED RESOURCES UNPUBLISHED RESOURCES

GOVERNMENT QUASI GOVERNMENT INTERNATIONAL PRIVATE NEWSPAPER

PUBLICA

GOVERNMENT QUASI GOVERNMENT PRIVATE DOCUMENTS OTHER DOCUMENTS

Tabulation and classification of data

The data collected from primary or secondary sources initially appear as a big jumble of information with the
least of comprehension. This is known as raw data. To draw meaningful inferences and to make them usable
the raw data requires tabulation and classification.

Data are collected, tabulated and presented in a tabular form either in absolute terms, percentages or indices

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Absolute data

When data are presented in their original form as integers, they are called absolute data or raw data. Eg. The
total population of a country

Population of India and Selected States/Union Territories 2001

State /union Total population

territory
Persons Males Females
INDIA 1027015247 531277078 495738169
Jammu and Kashmir 10069917 5300574 4769343
Himachal Pradesh 6077248 3085256 2991992
Punjab 24289296 12963362 11325934
Chandigarh 900914 508224 392690

Percentage/ratio
Data tabulated in a ratio or percentage form that are computed from a common parameter
Eg. Literacy rate = Total Literates x 100
Total Population
Literacy Rate: 1951-2011

Year Person Male Female

1951 18.33 27.16 8.86
1961 28.3 40.4 15.35
1971 34.45 45.96 21.97
1981 43.57 56.38 29.76
1991 52.21 64.13 39.29
2001 64.84 75.85 54.16
2011 73.0 80.9 64.6
Index number
An index number is a statistical measure designed to show changes in variable or a group of related variables
with respect to time, geographical location or other characteristics. For calculation of index number the simple
aggregate method is most commonly used and is obtained using the following formula:
Σq1 x100
Σq0
Σq0 = Total of the base year production
Σq1= Total of the current year production
Production of iron ore in India

Production Calculation Index

(in million tonnes) Number
1970-71 32.5 32.5 x 100 100
32.5
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 1980-81 42.2 42.2 x 100 130
32.5
1990-91 53.7 53.7 x 100 165
32.5
2000-01 67.4 67.4 x 100 207
32.5

Processing of data
The processing of raw data requires their tabulation and classification in selected classes.

Grouping of data
The grouping of raw data requires determining the number of classes in which the raw data are to be grouped
and what will be the class intervals. This depends upon the range of raw data.
Score of 60 students in Geography Paper

47 02 39 64 22 46 28 02 09 10
89 96 74 06 26 15 92 84 84 90
32 22 53 62 73 57 37 44 67 50
18 51 36 58 28 65 63 59 75 70
56 58 43 74 64 12 35 42 68 80
64 37 17 31 41 71 56 83 59 90

Process of classification
Once the number of groups and the class interval of each group are determined the raw data are classified by
four and cross method or tally marks. One tally mark is assigned to each individual in the group in which it is
falling.
Marking Tally Marks to Obtain Frequency

Group Numerical of Raw Data Tally Marks Number of Individual

0-10 02,02,09,06 //// 4
10-20 10,15,18,12,17 //// 5
20-30 22,28,26,22,28 //// 5
30-40 39,32,37,36,35,37,31 //// // 7
40-50 47,46,44,43,42,41 //// / 6
50-60 53,57,50,51,58,59,56,58,56,59 //// //// 10
60-70 64,62,67,65,63,64,68,64 //// /// 8
70-80 74,73,75,70,74,71 //// / 6
80-90 89,84,84,80,83 //// 5
90-100 96,92,90,90 //// 4
Σf = N = 60

Frequency distribution
The number of individuals in a group is known as frequency. Frequencies are classified as simple and
cumulative frequencies.
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Simple frequencies are expressed by f and represent the number of individuals falling in each group.
Cumulative frequencies are expressed by cf and can be obtained by adding successive simple frequencies in
each group with the previous sum. For forming groups or classes exclusive or inclusive methods are used.
In exclusive method upper limit of one group is the same as the lower limit of the next group. An observation
is included in the group where it is at its lower limit and it is excluded from the group where it is the upper
limit. That is why the method is known as exclusive method.
In inclusive method a value equal to the upper limit of a group is included in the same group. Therefore it is
known as inclusive method.
Frequency Distribution

Group F Cf
00-10 4 4
10-20 5 9
20-30 5 14
30-40 7 21
40-50 6 27
50-60 10 37
60-70 8 45
70-80 6 51
80-90 5 56
90-100 4 60
Σf = N = 60

Frequency polygon
A graph of frequency distribution is known as the frequency polygon. It helps in comparing the two or more
than two frequency distributions.

frequency distribution polygon

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10

8
no of students

0
00- 10- 20- 30- 40- 50- 60- 70- 80- 90-
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
marks obtained

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Ogive
The curve obtained by plotting cumulative frequencies is called an Ogive. It is constructed either by the less
than method or the more than method.
In the less than method start with the upper limit of the classes and go on adding frequencies. When these
frequencies are plotted less than ogive is obtained.

Less than method cf

Less than 10 4
Less than 20 9
Less than 30 14
Less than 40 21
Less than 50 27
Less than 60 37
Less than 70 45
Less than 80 51
Less than 90 56
Less than 100 60

less than ogive

60
cumulative frequency

40
20
cf
0
10 30 50 70 90
an an an an an
th th th th th
ss ss ss ss ss
Le Le Le Le Le
marks obtained

In the more than method start with the lower limits of the classes and from the cumulative frequency we
subtract frequency of each class. When these frequencies are plotted we get more than ogive.

More than method Cf

More than 0 60
More than 10 56
More than 20 51
More than 30 46
More than 40 39
More than 50 33

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More than 60 23
More than 70 15
More than 80 9
More than 90 4

more than ogive

60
cumulative frequency

40
20
Cf
0
0 20 40 60 80
han an an an an
e t e th th th th
or or ore ore ore
M M M M M
marks obtained

less than and more than ogive

70
60
50
frequencies

40
cf
30
20 Cf
10
0
0- 10- 20- 30- 40- 50- 60- 70- 80- 90-
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
marks obtained