ABSTRACT
The vast majority of quantitative studies use statistical methods for their analyses. This chapter discusses the basic statistical ideas and methods. Central to the statistics methodology is the notion of randomness, which is when there is no pattern or predictability in events. This idea is exemplified by the roll of a pair of dice. Random influences sometimes make them larger, sometimes make them smaller. A measure of central tendency is about how large they are on average. Another important measure of central tendency for a random variable is the sample median. A general objective of much statistical research is to come up with an estimate of the value of a parameter. The formulas for the sample mean, standard deviation, and correlation are all mathematical rules, or estimators, that turn sample data into particular numbers, called estimates. These estimates are used to make inferences about the population from which the sample is drawn.
