ABSTRACT

It might seem to you that scientists have an obsession with quantification. Your impressions are correct and probably underestimated. To build reliable knowledge, scientists naturally seek to gather and record counts, measurements, and attributes of the items being studied. Data, the collective name for such counts, measurements, and attributes, are the lifeblood of science. Studying data with quantitative tools allows scientists to detect patterns, formulate trial explanations (hypotheses), design tests, make predictions, and assess the reliability of the explanations.