Biology and life science study involve a lot of research on various topics and issues of concern. Any research typically involves data collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data to come up with viable findings and recommendation. Data measurement is, therefore, a crucial component in biology and life research since imperfect data measurement will lead to poor results and conclusions. There are several data measurement techniques used. This essay is about these data measurement tools and their advantages as well as the terms used in this area of study.
Data presentation is essential for easy understanding of any data. Every data presentation, such as a bar chart, pie chart, and line graph, has its advantage over the other. Generally, these types of data presentation give the readers a great visual comparison of the data. The bar chart is a graph that shows the frequency of cases in discrete variables. A bar graph is easy to read and interpret since the bars are mostly arranged side to side, making it easy for readers to compare values just at a glance. This makes bar charts very easy to understand. Also, they can easily be used to map changes over time. For instance, let us say a bar chart portrays the number disease infections in an area on monthly basis one can easily see the trend by looking at the bars and determine whether the infections are increasing or reducing.
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The line graph also has its advantages such as its comparison factor, longitudinal aptitude, and its universal color reproduction. The line graph allows the timeline of a tracked event to be plotted, and this will graphically represent the fall and rise of data points. With error probability and degree of certainty, the missing data can be traced along the line. The line graph also allows two or more variables to be compared across points, thus enabling the researchers to determine the position of connection between variables. The universal color reproduction of the line graph allows it to be transferred and presented in a different medium. For instance, the bar chart and pie chart uses color for comparison, and this won't be possible for black and white presentation. However, the line graph may use different types of line to represent similar data in a black and white and colored version.
The pie chart has several advantages such as displaying a relative proportion of multiple data variables, its simple representation for large data sets and can be easily understood. The pie chart gives an excellent visual representation and comparison of data by the use of colors and different shading styles. Pie charts easily understood because apart from the color, the percentages are usually labeled on the pie chart.
The ratio is a word used to refer to the value attained by dividing one quantity by another. Percentages, proportions, and rates are all ratios. A percentage is a measure of a portion to the total or whole item. A percentage is usually expressed in terms of how many things or data sets are there in every 100 pieces. For example, if we have ten sweets and among them four are black, and six are red we can say that the percentage of red candy is 60 percent. This implies that the red candy represents that in every 100 hundred sweet 60 will be read based on the ratio of black to red candies. A proportion is a way of comparison used to determine whether two ratios are the same. If the ratio of boys to girls in one class is 2:4 and in another class the ratio is 4:8 the two ratios are the same since they can be simplified to 0.5. Rate is the quantity measured in comparison to another measured amount. An example is the pay of 4 dollars per hour.
Prevalence refers to the degree of frequency or occurrence of something. For example, if a tragedy such as a bush fire happens very frequently, we say it has a high prevalence. Incidence, on the other hand, is the occurrence of an event or something. An example is the spread of cancer among an age group. Prevalence and incidence are two different things that should not be mistaken.
