|
|
|
| French
Equivalent: Variable |
| Definition: |
|
A variable is a characteristic of a unit being observed that may assume more than one of a set of values to which a numerical measure or a category from a classification can be assigned (e.g. income, age, weight, etc., and “occupation”, “industry”, “disease”, etc.
|
| Context: |
|
A variable in the mathematical sense, i.e. a quantity which may take any one of specified set of values. It is convenient to apply the same word to denote non-measurable characteristics, e.g., 'sex' is a variable in this sense since any human individual may take one of two 'values', male or female. It is useful, but far from being the general practice, to distinguish between a variable as so defined and a random variable (The International Statistical Institute, "The Oxford Dictionary of Statistical Terms", edited by Yadolah Dodge, Oxford University Press, 2003).
|
| Source
Publication: |
|
"United Nations Glossary of Classification Terms" prepared by the Expert Group on International Economic and Social Classifications; unpublished on paper.
|
| Statistical
Theme: Methodological information (metadata) |
| Glossary
Output Segments: |
SDMX
|
| Created
on Tuesday, September 25, 2001 |
| Last
updated on Wednesday, December 21, 2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
