Why is it important to present descriptive statistics before inferential statistics in a research report?
A) This is a customary way of presenting the results of quantitative analyses.
B) Descriptive statistics are more important than inferential statistics.
C) Inferential statistics help generalize the results built upon descriptive statistics.
D) It does not make a difference in which order the statistics are reported.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics provide a summary of the data, allowing researchers to understand the central tendency, variability, and distribution of the variables. Inferential statistics, on the other hand, are used to make inferences about a population based on a sample of data. Therefore, it is necessary to present descriptive statistics before conducting inferential statistics because the latter is built upon the former. It is important to note that presenting statistics in a specific order is not just a customary way but rather a scientifically sound approach to research reporting.

Why Is It Important to Present Descriptive Statistics Before Inferential