concept of variables

Concept of variables 

variable represents a concept or an item whose magnitude can be represented by a number, i.e. measured quantitatively. Variables are called variables because they vary, i.e. they can have a variety of values.Thus a variable can be considered as a quantity which assumes a variety of values in a particular problem

Scope and purpose

Conceptsa are general or abstract ideas that express the social and/or economic phenomena to be studied. They are the subjects of inquiry and analysis that are of interest to users.

A variable consists of two components, a statistical unit and a property. A statistical unit is the unit of observation or measurement for which data are collected or derived (e.g. persons or households in social surveys, and enterprises or establishments in business surveys) (Statistics Canada, 2008). A property is a characteristic or attribute of the statistical unit. Definitions of variables must be unambiguous and clearly specified in the context of the analytical purposes for which the data are to be collected (Statistics Canada, 2004). 

Classification is a systematic grouping of values that a variable can take comprising mutually exclusive classes, covering the full set of values, often providing a hierarchial structure for aggregating data so as to facilitate analysis and interpretation. More than one classification can be used to represent data for a given variable (Statistics Canada, 2004).

Variable Definition in Research

A variable is any property, a characteristic, a number, or a quantity that increases or decreases over time or can take on different values (as opposed to constants, such as n, that do not vary) in different situations.When conducting research, experiments often manipulate variables. For example, an experimenter might compare the effectiveness of four types of fertilizers.

Examples

In research variables are any characteristics that can take on different values, such as height, age, species, or exam score.In scientific research, we often want to study the effect of one variable on another one. For example, you might want to test whether students who spend more time studying get better exam scores.The variables in a study of a cause-and-effect relationship are called the independent and dependent variables.

References 

• www.columbia.edu "Variables, Functions,and Equations
• www.iedunote.com "Variables: Definition,Types of variables in research
• www.150.statcan.gc.ca"Concepts Variables and Classifications - Statistics canada
• www.scribbr.com"Independent and Dependent Variables|Uses Examples

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