ABSTRACT
Given a new set of data, it is usually wise to begin by ‘exploring’ them How many variables are there and of what type? How many observations are there? Are there treatments or groups to compare? What are the objectives? The initial examination of data (IDA), of which descriptive statistics is a part, is important not only to describe the data, but also to help formulate a sensible model. It is wise to explore data whether or not you think you know what analysis technique should be used. It is particularly important to check the assumptions made in carrying out a significance test, before actually doing it.
