A narrative review on types of data and scales of measurement: An initial step in the statistical analysis of medical data

Abstract

Statistical tools for data analysis differ for various data types and scales of measurements. The purpose of this review is to discuss these different types of data and measurement scales. To prepare this article, an online literature search was performed in Google and PubMed, using specific keywords. All relevant articles published in the English language between January 2010 and December 2022 were assessed for relevance. Screening of 34 articles was done and eventually 15 were included that had complete information. This review provides detailed information with examples regarding the data types and scales of measurement. Knowledge of the correct data type or scale of measurement is essential for the application of the appropriate statistical tools, and for making accurate inferences.