Learn Summarizing Research Data | Data Manipulation for Research

Understanding your research data begins with summarizing it using key statistics. Summary statistics such as the mean, median, and standard deviation help you quickly describe the central tendency and spread of your data. These metrics allow you to spot trends, identify anomalies, and compare results across experiments. In research, using summary statistics is often the first step in data analysis, providing a foundation for more advanced statistical methods and ensuring that you can communicate your findings clearly and accurately.


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import pandas as pd

# Simulated experimental data
data = {
    "subject": ["A", "B", "C", "D", "E"],
    "measurement": [5.2, 6.1, 5.8, 6.5, 5.9]
}
df = pd.DataFrame(data)

# Calculate mean, median, and standard deviation for 'measurement'
mean_value = df["measurement"].mean()
median_value = df["measurement"].median()
std_value = df["measurement"].std()

print("Mean:", mean_value)
print("Median:", median_value)
print("Standard Deviation:", std_value)

When your research involves comparing results across different experimental groups, you often need to summarize data for each group separately. The groupby method in pandas is a powerful tool for this purpose. It allows you to split your data into groups based on a categorical variable—such as treatment type or experimental condition—and then apply summary functions like mean, median, or standard deviation to each group. This approach makes it easy to compare group-level trends and draw meaningful conclusions from your research data.


              12345678910111213
            
import pandas as pd

# Simulated experimental data with groups
data = {
    "subject": ["A", "B", "C", "D", "E"],
    "group": ["control", "treatment", "control", "treatment", "control"],
    "measurement": [5.2, 6.1, 5.8, 6.5, 5.9]
}
df = pd.DataFrame(data)

# Compute the mean measurement for each group
group_means = df.groupby("group")["measurement"].mean()
print(group_means)

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Section 1. Chapter 4

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              1234567891011121314151617
            
import pandas as pd

# Simulated experimental data
data = {
    "subject": ["A", "B", "C", "D", "E"],
    "measurement": [5.2, 6.1, 5.8, 6.5, 5.9]
}
df = pd.DataFrame(data)

# Calculate mean, median, and standard deviation for 'measurement'
mean_value = df["measurement"].mean()
median_value = df["measurement"].median()
std_value = df["measurement"].std()

print("Mean:", mean_value)
print("Median:", median_value)
print("Standard Deviation:", std_value)


              12345678910111213
            
import pandas as pd

# Simulated experimental data with groups
data = {
    "subject": ["A", "B", "C", "D", "E"],
    "group": ["control", "treatment", "control", "treatment", "control"],
    "measurement": [5.2, 6.1, 5.8, 6.5, 5.9]
}
df = pd.DataFrame(data)

# Compute the mean measurement for each group
group_means = df.groupby("group")["measurement"].mean()
print(group_means)

Everything was clear?

Thanks for your feedback!

Section 1. Chapter 4

Summarizing Research Data

1. What does the groupby method do in pandas?

2. Which method would you use to calculate the mean of a DataFrame column?

3. Why are summary statistics important in research?

Summarizing Research Data

1. What does the groupby method do in pandas?

2. Which method would you use to calculate the mean of a DataFrame column?

3. Why are summary statistics important in research?