Statistics

CHAPTER 1

Introduction and Data Collection

USING STATISTICS: Good Tunes

1.1

BASIC CONCEPTS OF STATISTICS

1.2

THE GROWTH OF STATISTICS AND

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

1.3

HOW THIS TEXT IS ORGANIZED

1.4

1.5

TYPES OF DATA

Levels of Measurement and Types of Measurement

Scales

A.1

INTRODUCTION TO USING STATISTICAL

PROGRAMS

A1.1 Using Windows

A1.2 Introduction to Microsoft Excel

A1.3 Introduction to Minitab

A1.4 (CD-ROM Topic) Introduction to SPSS

COLLECTING DATA

Identifying Sources of Data

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In this chapter, you learn:

• How statistics is used in business

• The sources of data used in business

• The types of data used in business

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CHAPTER ONE Introduction and Data Collection

U S I N G S TAT I S T I C S

Good Tunes—Part I

Good Tunes, a privately held online retailer of home entertainment systems, seeks to expand its business by opening several stores. To get the

financing necessary to underwrite this expansion, Good Tunes needs to

apply for loans at local area banks. The managers of the firm agree to

develop an electronic slide show that will explain their business and state

the facts that will convince the bankers to loan Good Tunes the money it

needs. You have been asked to assist in the process of preparing the slide

show. What facts would you include? How would you present those facts?

very day you use news and information sources to gather the facts that you need to lead

your life. You might listen to a weather forecast to decide what clothes to wear, and if you

live in a large city, you might listen to a commuter report to learn about the best route for traveling to your job or school.

Your personal likes and dislikes shape some of your decisions, too. In spite of hearing bad

reviews of a motion picture that suggest you skip seeing it, you might decide to go anyhow just

because you happen to like a particular actor who appears in that film.

Likewise, every day business...