A note on the types of data in the context of Research Methods for Housing Studies

A note on the types of data in the context of Research Methods for Housing Studies (information from perplexity.ai)

My question: "On the topic of data collection in research methods, briefly describe the main types of data (e.g. continuous, discrete, attribute [i.e. ordinal and nominal] and open) in the context of Housing Studies."

The reply: "In the context of Housing Studies research methods, the main types of data collected can be described as follows:

• Continuous data: This type of data can take any value within a range and is measured on a continuous scale. Examples in housing studies include measurements such as temperature inside a dwelling or distances related to housing locations. Continuous data are useful for detailed quantitative analyses including regression or trend analysis.

• Discrete data: Discrete data consist of countable, distinct values, often whole numbers. In housing research, discrete data may represent counts such as the number of rooms in a house or number of residents. These data are quantifiable but limited to separate values.

• Attribute data (Nominal and Ordinal): These are categorical data. Nominal data classify items into categories without any order or ranking — examples include types of housing tenure (rented, owned) or neighborhood categories. Ordinal data involve categories with an inherent order or ranking but no precise measurement of distance between ranks — for example, survey responses on housing satisfaction levels (low, medium, high).

• Open data: In a broad research context including housing, open data can refer to unstructured or qualitative data drawn from sources like interviews, observations, or social media related to housing experiences. This data type provides rich contextual insights that are not numerical but are essential for understanding social and behavioral dimensions.

These data types serve different research objectives in Housing Studies, from quantitative statistical analysis to qualitative inquiry, supporting a holistic understanding of housing issues and policies."

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