This document provides an introduction to statistics, including defining what statistics is, the different types of variables and scales of measurement, and why statistics is important in dentistry. It discusses how statistics can be used for research, understanding medical literature, and informing clinical decision making. Descriptive statistics are used to summarize and describe data, while inferential statistics allow generalizing beyond the sample data to the overall population. Nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales of measurement are explained along with examples. The importance of understanding the scale of measurement is that it determines which statistical tests can appropriately be used for analysis.

1. General Studies 1 (Community Dentistry1) Dr Nizam Abdullah Introduction to Statistics

9. (Williamson et al ., 1986) “ The study assessed 30 medical journals (including BMJ, JAMA, N Engl J Med, CMAJ, The Lancet , ….) involving 4,235 articles … Only 20% met the assessor's criteria for validity …..”

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