ABSTRACT
Statistics starts with a problem, proceeds with the collection of data, continues with the data analysis and finishes with conclusions. It is a common mistake of inexperienced statisticians to plunge into a complex analysis without paying attention to the objectives or even whether the data are appropriate for the proposed analysis. Getting data into a form suitable for analysis by cleaning out mistakes and aberrations is often time consuming. It often takes more time than the data analysis itself. However, because of the numerical coding, this variable has been treated as if it were quantitative. It is best to designate such variables as categorical so that they are treated appropriately. In the 18th century, accurate navigation was a difficult problem of commercial and military interest. Although it is relatively easy to determine latitude from Polaris, also known as the North Star, finding longitude then was difficult.
