Outliers in Data

Outliers can be true (natural variations) or false (errors). True outliers should be retained, while false outliers may need to be removed or corrected.

Types of Outliers

Outliers can skew statistical results, affecting measures of central tendency and variance. Proper handling is crucial for accurate data interpretation.

Impact on Analysis

Common methods include sorting, box plots, and the interquartile range (IQR) method.

Methods to Identify Outliers

Examples include a temperature reading of 45°C in a dataset of normal temperatures, an exam score of 30 in a dataset of high scores.

Examples of Outliers

Options include retaining the outlier if it's a true value, assigning a new value if it's an error, or removing it if it significantly impacts the analysis.

Handling Outliers

Large datasets can mitigate the impact of outliers, but small datasets may require robust statistical tests to handle them effectively.

Practical Considerations