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Unit-26: Methods: Meaning and Characteristics of Statistical Method

explaining the meaning of statistical methods saligman writes, “statistic is that science that is associated notes
with compilation, presentation, comparison and interpretation of numerical facts that have been
gathered to throw light on any particular area.”

Notes According to Lavit, “statistics is the science that based on the description and
comparison of incidents presents the compilation, classification and tabulation
of numerical data.”

Robertson writes, “Statisticsis is a device or source that can be used to attack the problems and find
solutions for problems arising in any area of experimental research.” Kendal has said that statistics is
that branch of scientific methodology that is related with the matter collected from the measurement
and calculation of specialities of various groups of substances. From the above definitions it is clear
that statistics is that method in which facts are presented in a numerical form to provide meaningful
result.
in sociology it is essential to present various incidents in qualitative as well as quantitative manner. for
example, the size and design of population, family dissolution, rate of divorce, the incidents of crime or
child crime, the increase or decrease in joint families, the population of village and cities, literacy rate,
the trends towards industrialization and urbanization can be done easily with the help of statistics.
the results obtained from such studies can be presented in numerical, average or percentage format.
this methodology has proved useful in numerical description of social facts of qualitative nature.
If we pay attention to statistics methodology then we will find out that in this firstly samples are selected
from a universe. than with the help of a questioner or schedule technique various facts are gathered.
Various precautions must be taken at the time of compilation of facts so that accurate information can
be recorded. Thereafter the gathered facts are classified and tabulated. Here the causal relationships
are described in a numerical or percentage form. After that with the help of various averages the
frequencies are made easy and are presented in the form of graphs and charts. the results obtained
from this method are more valid and clear.the results obtained from statistics methods are useful to
understand the various social problems such as unemployment, poverty, crime, child crime etc. in
this method there is very less possibility of biasness. this technique has proved useful to throw light
on various problems.
the biggest drawback is that through this method the social incidents can only be presented in
numerical or quantitative format but not in qualitative format. if in the present time we want to study
the changes in the values and mentalities of people then this method will not be useful. this method
will also not be of much use if we want to understand the causal relationship between various social
incidents of problems. for this we need to use the qualitative method. in spite of these limitations,
as this technique is based on math it is considered a scientific technique and its use in sociology is
continuously increasing.

self assessment
fill in the blanks:
1. __________ is a device or source that can be used to attack the problems and find solutions
for problems arising in any area of experimental research.
2. in sociology it is essential to present various incidents in qualitative as well as _________
manner.

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