Data is a collection of facts, such as numbers, words, measurements, observations or even just descriptions of things.
Qualitative vs Quantitative
Data can be qualitative or quantitative.
Qualitative data is descriptive information (it describes something)
Quantitative data is numerical information (numbers)
Quantitative data can be Discrete or Continuous:
Discrete data can only take certain values (like whole numbers)
Continuous data can take any value (within a range)
Put simply: Discrete data is counted, Continuous data is measure
Example: What do we know about Arrow the Dog?
Arrow the Dog
Qualitative:
He is brown and black
He has long hair
He has lots of energy
Quantitative:
Discrete:
He has 4 legs
He has 2 brothers
Continuous:
He weighs 25.5 kg
He is 565 mm tall