Contents > 6 Design Measurement > 6.3 Data Analysis Techniques > 6.3.1 Descriptive Statistics

6.3.1 Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive statistics characterize the distribution of values for a design metric in terms of its mean and median value, interquartile ranges, and variance (or standard deviation).

The range and distribution of a metric determines the applicability of subsequent analysis techniques. Low variance metrics do not differentiate design elements very well and therefore are not likely to be useful predictors. Descriptive statistics allow us to determine if the data collected from two or more projects are comparable, stem from similar populations. If not, this information will likely be helpful to explain different findings across projects.

SDMetrics calculates and displays descriptive statistics for design metrics, see Section 4.5 "The View 'Histograms'" and Section 4.8 "The View 'Descriptive Statistics'".