Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive statistics are summaries that describe the data you actually have in front of you, without trying to extend the conclusion beyond it. They compress many numbers into a few digestible facts, such as an average, a count, or a chart.

Think of describing your class: “the average test score was 78, the highest was 99, and most students scored between 70 and 85.” Every statement is just about that class. Descriptive statistics are honest and uncontroversial precisely because they make no leap to a wider group; the leap to people you did not measure is the job of inferential statistics.