NOTE ON USE AND ORIGIN

This Glossary of Common Data Terms was developed locally as a non-technical resource for those interested in expanding their functional data vocabulary. This glossary contains commonly used data terms defined in easy-to-understand language. Although the definitions are informal and non-academic, the following academic texts heavily informed their development:

Shryock, H.S., and Siegel, J.S. The Methods and Materials of Demography. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1976.
Haupt, A. and Kane, T.T. Population Handbook. Washington, DC: Population Reference Bureau, Inc., 1978.

Click here for a printable version of the Glossary of Common Data Terms.

All | # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
There are currently 5 names in this directory beginning with the letter P.
p-value
calculated probability that that what is being observed in the data has happened by chance. Generally, if the p-value associated with an observation is less than .05 the observation is accepted as statistically significant. A p-value less than .05 indicates a less than 5% chance that what is being observed happened by chance or a more than 95% certainty that chance alone cannot explain the observation. See Statistical significance.
Percent increase/decrease
one way of describing the difference between your current measurement and a past measurement, relating it to the past measurement. The percent change is the difference between the two values, divided by the past value, and it’s usually phrased like “percent decrease from prior year” or “percent increase over prior year.” For example, if the percent of the population that smokes cigarettes decreased from 19% in 2014 to 17% in 2015, you’d have a 10.5% (percent) decrease, because the difference between 19 and 17 is two, and two divided by 19 is 10.5%.
Percentage point increase/decrease
one way of describing the difference between your current measurement and a past measurement, without relating the change to the past measurement. It’s just the difference between the two values, and it’s usually phrased as “decrease of X percentage points.” If the percent of the population that smokes cigarettes decreased from 19% in 2014 to 17% in 2015, you’d have a two percentage point decrease, because the difference between 19 and 17 is two.
Population
people in a given area.
Proportion
specific type of ratio in which the denominator always includes the numerator. See Ratio.

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Below are a few of the many free resources available online for those who would like to learn more about data, from the basics to advanced concepts and skills.

  1. School of Data. https://schoolofdata.org/handbook/courses/what-is-data/
  2. Data-Pop Alliance. http://datapopalliance.org/item/what-is-data-literacy/
  3. Oceans of Data Institute. http://oceansofdata.org/our-work/big-data-big-promise