<P> A descriptive statistic ( in the count noun sense ) is a summary statistic that quantitatively describes or summarizes features of a collection of information , while descriptive statistics in the mass noun sense is the process of using and analyzing those statistics . Descriptive statistics is distinguished from inferential statistics ( or inductive statistics ) , in that descriptive statistics aims to summarize a sample , rather than use the data to learn about the population that the sample of data is thought to represent . This generally means that descriptive statistics , unlike inferential statistics , is not developed on the basis of probability theory , and are frequently nonparametric statistics . Even when a data analysis draws its main conclusions using inferential statistics , descriptive statistics are generally also presented . For example , in papers reporting on human subjects , typically a table is included giving the overall sample size , sample sizes in important subgroups ( e.g. , for each treatment or exposure group ) , and demographic or clinical characteristics such as the average age , the proportion of subjects of each sex , the proportion of subjects with related comorbidities , etc . </P>
<P> A descriptive statistic ( in the count noun sense ) is a summary statistic that quantitatively describes or summarizes features of a collection of information , while descriptive statistics in the mass noun sense is the process of using and analyzing those statistics . Descriptive statistics is distinguished from inferential statistics ( or inductive statistics ) , in that descriptive statistics aims to summarize a sample , rather than use the data to learn about the population that the sample of data is thought to represent . This generally means that descriptive statistics , unlike inferential statistics , is not developed on the basis of probability theory , and are frequently nonparametric statistics . Even when a data analysis draws its main conclusions using inferential statistics , descriptive statistics are generally also presented . For example , in papers reporting on human subjects , typically a table is included giving the overall sample size , sample sizes in important subgroups ( e.g. , for each treatment or exposure group ) , and demographic or clinical characteristics such as the average age , the proportion of subjects of each sex , the proportion of subjects with related comorbidities , etc . </P>
descriptive statistics are best described as methods that help researchers
descriptive statistics are best described as methods that help researchers
to summarize a sample , rather than use the data to learn about the population that the sample of data is thought to represent
to summarize a sample , rather than use the data to learn about the population that the sample of data is thought to represent