Data Handling &

Probability
RB12CY037
COLLECTING AND ORGANISING DATA
 There are three kinds of lies: lies,
damned lies, and statistics.

BENJAMIN DISRA
PRIME MINISTER
STARTER 1874-1880

When would Data Handling skills be

used/needed in everyday life?
Aims and objectives
1. Know suitability of questions for a data collection questionnaire

1.1 Design questions for a data collection questionnaire

1.2 Assess the suitability of questions for a specified data

collection questionnaire

2.1 Organise data into 2-way tables

2.2 Group data into class intervals of equal width

Types of Data
Types of Data
PRIMARY DATA SECONDARY DATA

Collected by Data that you use

yourself that was collected
e.g. as part of a by others
research study e.g. off the internet

What examples can you think of?

Primary vs Secondary
Primary Data Secondary Data
Autobiographies
Books
Diaries
Witness Accounts Textbooks
Original works of art, music Encyclopaedias
Surveys
Articles
Opinion Polls
Census
Literature Reviews
Internet
Office of National Statistics
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Primary
Research
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

1. Applicable and usable – if done 1. Expensive

right
2. Not immediately available –
2. Accurate and reliable – can
answer your direct research takes time to define problem,
questions sampling frame, method and
analysis.
3. Up-to-date – as you have
collected the data 3. Not as readily accessible
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Secondary
Research
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
1. Inexpensive 1. Frequently outdated – e.g. census
2. Easily accessible data
3. Immediately available 2. Potentially unreliable – not always
4. Will provide essential background sure where information has come
and help to clarify or refine research from
problem – essential for literature
review 3. May not be applicable – may not
5. Secondary data sources will provide totally answer your research
research method alternatives. questions
6. Will also alert the researcher to any 4. Lack of availability – i.e. no data
potential difficulties. available or very difficult to obtain
 Why use a questionnaire?
Questionnaires are often used to obtain information from a group of
people.
We use them because questions can be targeted to get the information
you need.
They can also be done in several ways;

By post or email Face to face

By phone
Advantages and Disadvantages of
using a Questionnaire.
 Questionnaires
There are two main types of questions in a
questionnaire

Open Questions- have no suggested answers

Closed Questions- has a set of answers to choose

from
 Open-ended questions:
What do you look for most in a job?
Is there anything else you would like to add about the
product

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• A wide range of information can be • Ability and/or willingness of
obtained respondent to answer
• Answers are based on respondents • Interviewers ability to record
frame of mind answers quickly or summarise
accurately
• Lack of influence
• Can help interpret closed-ended • Interviewers attitude influences
responses
questions
• Useful as an introduction to a survey • Time consuming
• Good to use if there are too many • Respondents may miss important
possible responses to be listed or points
unknown • Non-response
 Closed-ended questions: What do you look for most in a job?
1. Work that pays well
2. Work that gives a sense of accomplishment
3. Work where you make most decisions by
yourself
4. Work that is secure

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
◦ Ease of understanding ◦ Neutral categories often selected
◦ Requires less effort on part of inappropriately
interviewer and respondent ◦ Less opportunity for self-expression
◦ Ease of tabulations and analysis ◦ Less involving for respondents
◦ Less error prone ◦ Order of response categories can
◦ Less interviewer bias have an impact on results
◦ Answers easily compared to ◦ Respondents may not read the
other respondents questions fully
 What makes a good questionnaire?
Order
Start with basic details and move on to more difficult questions.

Clear questions
Simple language, appropriate to the age of the people answering the questions.
Relevant to what you are investigating.

Not Personal
Try and avoid questions that need very personal or embarrassing answers.
 What makes a good questionnaire?
Easy to answer

Open questions – allow people to write anything.

Closed questions – restrict answers by giving options.
Keep answer boxes clear and simple and don’t have gaps or overlaps.

Under 20 20 − 29 30 − 39 40 − 49 Over 50

Avoid answers that are not specific such as “not much” or “a lot”.
 What makes a good questionnaire?
Avoid bias
Don’t ask questions that push people towards an answer. Starting a question
with;

isn’t it true that…? or don’t you agree that…?

is trying to make people say what you want.

Think about where the survey is being done.
For example asking people who their favourite football team is outside a football
stadium on a match day, will not give you a fair set of data.
EXAMPLE 1
How much time do you spend on homework?
0-1hrs 2-3hrs 4-5hrs

What is wrong with this question?

1. No timescale, daily, weekly etc
2. Zero should always be on its own
3. There needs to be a 5+
EXAMPLE 1
How much time do you spend on homework?
0-1hrs 2-3hrs 4-5hrs

Better question:
How much time do you spend on homework every week?
0 hrs 1-2hrs 3-4 hrs more than 4 hrs
EXAMPLE 2
How often do you go to the cinema?
Occasionally Frequently Often A lot

What is wrong with this question?

1. No timescale, daily, weekly etc
2. Response choices are ambiguous
3. No option for never
 EXAMPLE 2
How often do you go to the cinema?
Occasionally Frequently Often A lot

Better Question:
How often do you go to the cinema every month?

Never 1-2times 3-4 times More than 4

EXAMPLE 3
How old are you? How old are you?
0-10
What is wrong with this 10-20
question?
20-50
50-60
1.Too personal
2.Is it necessary to ask?
Is this better?
EXAMPLE 3
How old are you? How old are you? (Please tick)
0-10 Under 10
10-20 11-20
20-50 21-30
50-60 31-40
41-50
1. No need for zero 51-60
2. Overlap of numbers Over 60

3. Uneven categories
4. No more than 60
Example 4
You don’t spend enough time on Have you ever stolen anything?
your homework, do you?

What is wrong with this question?

What is wrong with this question?

This question is very personal and

The question is leading, already you are unlikely to be given an
suggesting to you what answer to honest answer.
give.
You have to ask yourself if it is
necessary to ask this question on
your questionnaire.
Exercise
Design questions to answer the following:

1. Amy wants to find out how her classmates travelled to college today.

2. Gary wants to know how much his friends spend on music each
week.

3. Peter wants to know how many times a week his friends go to the
gym.
Answers
1. How did you travel to college today
Walk Car Cycle Bus Train
Other_________

2. How much money do you spend on music each week?

Zero £1-£5 £6-£10 £11+

3. How many times do you go to the gym each week?

None 1-2 3-4 5-6 7+
Exercise:
Questionnaires
1) TRY TO FIND AT LEAST ONE FAULT WITH EVERY
QUESTIONS
Aims and objectives
1. Know suitability of questions for a data collection questionnaire

1.1 Design questions for a data collection questionnaire

1.2 Assess the suitability of questions for a specified data

collection questionnaire

2.1 Organise data into 2-way tables

2.2 Group data into class intervals of equal width

 Types of Data
Data can be either:
numerical (quantitative) data
non-numerical (qualitative) data

Examples of quantitative Examples of qualitative data

data include; include
• Height • Opinions
• Time • Favourite subjects
• Age • Eye colour
• Gender
 Quantitative or Qualitative
Which kind of data are each of these?
1) people’s opinions about third world debt
2) how much sleep you have had each night this month
3) whether people are left handed or right handed
4) the number of full stops in different books
5) how you felt after your last exam/test
6) how popular your favourite band is among your friends
7) which supermarket people prefer
8) How much money you make each week
Exercise
Which data type are the following?
Qualitative or quantitative?

-Heights of college students

-Makes of cars in car park
-Favourite football teams
-Distance travelled each day
-Favourite takeaway
-Shoe sizes
-Rainfall in a year
Exercise : Which data type are the following?

Qualitative or quantitative?

Heights of college students Quantitative

Make of cars in car park Qualitative

Favourite football teams Qualitative
Distance travelled each day Quantitative

Favourite takeaway Qualitative

Shoe sizes Quantitative
Rainfall in a year Quantitative
 Numerical data can be either:
Quantitative continuous
Data discrete

Which of the examples of numerical data given below

would need to be rounded off?

Shoe size
The number of goals in a football match
The temperature of a classroom
The time taken to complete a task
The number of grade A*s achieved in your college last year
The number of marks gained in a dance exam
The height of a mountain
Discrete Data
You can have a shoe size of 4
Shoe size
or 4½ but not 4¼ .
Number of goals in a You can score 2 goals but not
football match 2.5.
The number of grade There could have been 40 or 41
A* grades but not 40.1.

The
A* number
grades lastofyear
marks You could get 60 but not
gained in a dance exam 60.8 in the exam.

Discrete data jumps from one measurement to the

next. The measurements in-between have no meaning.
 Continuous Data
The temperature of a The temperature could be
classroom 21oC, 21.1oC, 21.01oC or ….

The time taken to

The time could be 57 secs,
complete a task
57.1 secs, 57.01 secs or ….
The height of a
mountain The height could be 300 m, 300.6
m, 300.0006 feet, or …..

Continuous data does not jump from one measurement

to the next, but passes smoothly through all the
measurements in-between.
 Group the following types of data as either discrete or continuous data.

Speed of
Volume of a a car Population
cereal box of a town

Length of
Shirt Discrete? a crocodile
collar size Continuous?

Number of Temperature Number of

goals in a of an oven matches in
season a box
Discrete Continuous
Population Volume of a
of a town cereal box

Number of Top speed

matches in of a car
a box

Length of
Shirt
a crocodile
collar size

Number of Temperature
goals in a of an oven
season
Two way tables
Two Way Tables
A two-way table can be used to show how data can falls into different categories.

In a survey on the popularity of visiting France and Holland, a sample of 100

Danish adults were asked for their holiday destinations last summer. In June 6
people went to France, 18 went to Holland and 5 went elsewhere. In July 10
people went to France, 19 went to Holland and 2 went elsewhere. In August 15
people went to France, 15 people went to Holland and 10 went elsewhere.

France Holland Elsewhere Total

The
information June 6 18 5 29
given above July 10 19 2 31
becomes
much clearer if August 15 15 10 40
it is placed in a
two-way table. Total 31 52 17 100
 Two Way Table
Example 30 students were asked about their lunch one day. The
table below gives some of their answers.
A) Complete the table.
B) How many women had sandwiches?
Canteen
Sandwiches Other Total
dinner
Men 12 3 1 16
Women 8 4 2 14
Total 20 7 3 30

How many women had sandwiches? 4

 How to create a two way table
Which two way table represents this information??
In a supermarket survey 30 men and 30 women were asked whether they
preferred orange juice or grapefruit juice. 22 men preferred orange juice. 12
women preferred grapefruit juice.
B
A Grapefruit Orange Juice
Grapefruit Orange Juice
Juice Juice
Men 12 22 Men 13 22

Women 18 8 Women 12 9

C D
Grapefruit Orange Juice Grapefruit Orange Juice
Juice Juice
Men 8 22 Men 8 12
Women 12 18 Women 22 8
How to Create a Two Way
Table
Read through all of the information first.

Pick out the different categories – men or women, boys or

girls, types of colours, types of food etc.

Set out your table.

Fill in what you know

Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first.

Find the CATAGORIES of information.
Create your TABLE.
 Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first. S D C TOTAL

Find the CATAGORIES of information. M

Create your TABLE. W

TOTA
L
 Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first. S D C TOTAL

Find the CATAGORIES of information. M

Create your TABLE. W

TOTA
FILL IN what you can.
L
Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first. S D C TOTAL

M
Find the CATAGORIES of information.
W
Create your TABLE.
TOTA
FILL IN what you can. L
 Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first. S D C TOTAL

Find the CATAGORIES of information. M

Create your TABLE. W

TOTA 90
FILL IN what you can.
L
Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first. S D C TOTAL

M
Find the CATAGORIES of information.
W
Create your TABLE.
TOTA 90
FILL IN what you can. L
Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first. S D C TOTAL

Find the CATAGORIES of information. M 12

Create your TABLE. W

TOTA 90
FILL IN what you can.
L
Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first. S D C TOTAL

Find the CATAGORIES of information. M 12

Create your TABLE. W

TOTA 90
FILL IN what you can.
L
 Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first. S D C TOTAL

Find the CATAGORIES of information. M 12

Create your TABLE. W

TOTA 33 90
FILL IN what you can.
L
Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first. S D C TOTAL

Find the CATAGORIES of information. M 12

Create your TABLE. W

TOTA 33 90
FILL IN what you can.
L
 Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first. S D C TOTAL

M 12
Find the CATAGORIES of information.
W 27
Create your TABLE.
TOTA 33 90
FILL IN what you can. L
Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first. S D C TOTAL

M 12
Find the CATAGORIES of information.
W 27
Create your TABLE.
TOTA 33 90
FILL IN what you can. L
 Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

S D C TOTAL
READ through everything first.
M 12
Find the CATAGORIES of information.
W 27
Create your TABLE.
TOTA 33 25 90
FILL IN what you can. L
Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first. S D C TOTAL

Find the CATAGORIES of information. M 12

Create your TABLE. W 27

TOTA 33 25 90
FILL IN what you can.
L
Create a two way table
90 people were asked whether they preferred Soaps, Drama or Crime shows.
12 men said they liked Dramas
33 people in total said they liked Soaps, and 27 of these were women.
25 people in total liked Dramas best.
Only 10 women liked Crime shows.

READ through everything first.

S D C TOTAL
Find the CATAGORIES of information. M 12
Create your TABLE. W 27 10
FILL IN what you can. TOTA 33 25 90
L
 Create your own two way tables

A number of men and women were asked which types of crisps they liked best. A
total of twelve people said Plain, of which seven were men.
Six women said Salt and Vinegar.
Fourteen men and twelve women liked Cheese and Onion.
There were 28 men in total.

Q: How many people liked Salt and Vinegar best?

A factory employs 12 supervisors, of which 2 are female. They employ 14 office

staff, of which 3 are male, and 120 shop floor workers, of which 38 are female.

Q1: How many employees are there in total?

Q2: What is the probability that a female is a supervisor?
 Answers
P S+V C+O TOTAL 1) 13 people
Men 7 7 14 28
Women 5 6 12 23
TOTAL 12 13 26 51

S O SF TOTAL 1) 146 people

Men 10 3 82 95 2) 2/51
Women 2 11 38 51
TOTAL 12 14 120 146
Tally charts
 Classification and tabulation of
data
Raw Data: This is information that has been collected but not yet
organised in any way.
MARK TALLY FREQUENCY
Example: In a class of 20 students, the mark
given for homework was as follows. 0
1
7,5,6,8,3,9,4,5,6,6,8,4,6,5,8,2,9,10,6,5 2
3
The results can be arranged into a tally chart 4
5
One tally is shown as I 6
When we have 5 we put a line across 7
Instead which makes it easier to add up 8
IIII 9
10
Copy and complete the tally chart Pg. 6
Answers
MARK TALLY FREQUENCY

0 - -
1 - -
Check your answers
2 I 1
and correct any
3 I 1
mistakes.
4 II 2
5 IIII 4
Then complete
6 IIII 5
Exercise 2, Pg. 7
7 I 1
8 III 3
9 II 2
10 I 1
TOTAL 20
 Exercise 2 Answers
A box of matches is labelled No. of Matches Tally Frequency

46 I 1
"Average contents 50 matches". 47 IIII 4
48 I 1
Fifty boxes are opened and 49 IIII I 6
their contents counted. 50 IIII I 6
The results are listed below. 51 IIII I 6
Produce a frequency distribution 52 IIII IIII 10
table to represent these results. 53 IIII III 8
54 III 3
55 IIII 4
Check your results 56 - -
and correct and 57 I 1
mistakes TOTAL 50
 Grouped frequency distribution
tables
In the tally chart examples shown so far, the information has been tallied into a reasonable
number of groups. Sometimes we have to record data which is spread out over a very wide
range and it becomes necessary to group values together to make the process easier.

The data can be divided into CLASSES or INTERVALS. The size of the class is set; this is
called the CLASS INTERVAL. The highest and lowest possible values in each class are
called the class limits..
Marks Tally Frequency

Example: Suppose the marks of 30 school 10-14

children in a maths test were recorded and the
15-19
results varied from 10 to 30. We could divide
the data into 10 - 14; 15 - 19; 20 - 24; 25 – 29 20-24
and 30 - 34. This would keep the number of 25-29
groups manageable.
30-34
25 28 10 15 18 23 13 21 25 Total
26 16 17 30 20 16 22 23 26 24
24 29 21 27 28 23 27 25 22 24 Complete this distribution
23 table Pg. 8
Answers
Marks Tally Frequency

10-14 II 2
15-19 IIII 5
20-24 IIII IIII II 12
25-29 IIII IIII 10
30-34 I 1
Total

Check your answers and correct any mistakes.

Then complete Exercise 3, Pg. 9

 Exercise 3 answers
A factory employs 120 people.
Their ages are recorded below. Marks Tally Frequency
Make a tally chart showing
16-20 IIII IIII II 12
the frequency of their ages,
21-25 IIII I 6
dividing the results into classes
26-30 IIII IIII II 12
of equal width.
31-35 IIII IIII 9

The lowest age is 16 and the 36-40 IIII IIII IIII IIII II 22
highest is 65. It would seem 41-45 IIII IIII III 13
reasonable to group the data 46-50 IIII IIII IIII 14
into 10 classes with a class 51-55 IIII IIII IIII IIII 19
interval of 5. 56-60 IIII III 8
The classes would then 61-65 IIII 5
be 16 - 20; 21 - 25; Total 120
26 - 30; 31 - 35; etc.
Aims and objectives
1. Know suitability of questions for a data collection questionnaire

1.1 Design questions for a data collection questionnaire

1.2 Assess the suitability of questions for a specified data

collection questionnaire

2.1 Organise data into 2-way tables

2.2 Group data into class intervals of equal width

 Homework
Assignment 1

To be completed individually
Deadline: 2 weeks from date set
Assignments will not be accepted without completed front cover sheet
Assignments will only be accepted on the hand-in date in class
Late work (maximum one week late) will not be marked until the end of term
and will not be given a second submission opportunity (work more than one
week late will not be marked until the end of the academic year).