Types of Data

Types of data in quality assurance is often selected based on the methods they are being used for.

Attribute data

This is the lowest form of data. Mostly in quality situations it is made up of counting defects or defective items. Sometimes it also is used to describe category data, where items are classified into a number of different possible values in a set.

Attribute data appears in Control Chart types: p-charts, np-charts, c-charts and u-charts.

Attribute data is also known as discrete data, although sometimes these are divided with discrete-attribute data being for categories and discrete-count data for counts.

Variable data

Variable data can be measured on a continuous scale, such as height, weight and so on. Sometimes there are practical limits to division, for example although you can have fractions of a cent, the coinage limits normal usage.

Variables data appears in Control Chart types: X-bar+R charts, X-bar+S charts and X+MR charts.

Types of Data

Attribute data

Variable data

See also: