CLASSIFICATION AND TABULATION IN STATISTICS

CLASSIFICATION AND TABULATION

Introduction: Organizing Data

We explored various methods of data collection. However, the raw data

collected from any statistical investigation are often so large and complex

that they become unwieldy and difficult to understand. Therefore, after

collecting and editing the data, the next crucial step is to organize it. This

means presenting it in a condensed form that highlights the important

characteristics of the data, facilitates comparisons, and makes it suitable

for further processing (statistical analysis) and interpretation.

necessary to arrange the raw data into different homogeneous classes to

distinguish relevant and significant features from irrelevant ones.

This process of arranging the data into groups or classes based on

resemblances and similarities is technically known as,classification.

Thus, classification of the data is preliminary to its tabulation. It’s the first

step in tabulation because items with similarities must be grouped

together before the data are presented in a ‘table’.

On the other hand, diagrams and graphs are pictorial devices for

presenting statistical data. However, in this chapter, we’ll only discuss

‘Classification and Tabulation’ of the data while ‘Diagrammatic and

them into different but related parts.” —Secrist.

parts, called classes, according to some precisely defined differing

characteristics possessed by all the elements of the category.” —

Tuttle A.M.

Thus classification focuses on arranging the data into different classes,

which are determined depending on the nature, objectives, and scope of

the inquiry. For instance, the number of students registered in Delhi

University during the academic year 2002-03 could be classified based on

any of the following criteria:

The same set of data can be classified into different groups or classes in

numerous ways based on any recognizable physical, social or mental

characteristic that exhibits variation among different elements of the

given data. The facts in one class will differ from those of another class

with respect to some characteristic called the basis or criterion of

classification.

As an example, consider socio-economic inquiry data (e.g., family budget

data relating to nature, quality, and quantity of commodities consumed by

a group of people along with expenditure on different items). This could be

classified under major heads such as: