It is easy to see with the above simple examples how the use and interpretation of
statistics are misunderstood, without delving into more complex research problems. Such
views have in the past helped to build up an aversion to statistics which is even now
considerable, despite the rapid advances and the contributions which statistical methods
have been able to make. The first part of this chapter is concerned mainly with some of
the basic tools for exploratory analysis and presentation, a part of the subject usually
called descriptive statistics. The data from experiments should always be examined
before any formal analysis is performed. Such examinations should occur at the initiation
of an analysis (since the raw data will often be too extensive and too complex to convey
an immediate impression) and during the analysis to improve the decisions on what form
the analysis should take.