Statistics Essay

Today, statistics is very important, especially for the military, because statistical analysis allows obtaining important information, on the ground of which it is possible to make forecasts concerning the target issues and conditions studied by researchers. At the same time, it is important to distinguish inferential statistics and descriptive statistics, which are normally applied in different situations. In fact, inferential statistics may be used for extensive studies, which need the further analysis, whereas the descriptive statistics is used, when a researcher needs to describe the data and understand the essence of the current conditions and issues investigated in the study.
In actuality, the inferential statistics is used to compare two groups of people and test the extent to which their choices are occasional. For instance, a researcher may use the inferential statistics to find out whether certain behavior pattern is a norm or not. In this regard, it is possible to refer to the example of the military. To put it more precisely, the military can study the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations and the supply of food and water to the population affected by the military conflict. The military can use the inferential statistics to find out whether the population receiving the food and water from foreign peacekeeping forces will support them or not and whether they will oppose to the peacekeeping forces or not. This means that a researcher can use the inferential statistics to find out whether the population that receives the aid from peacekeeping forces is supporting them in the studied area alone or probably it is the general trend that can be traced in other areas, where military operations take place and where peacekeeping forces provide the population with the supply of food and water. In such a way, the study using the inferential statistics makes it possible to make inference from the obtained data to more general conditions and issues. For instance, using data collected in the course of the study using inferential statistics concerning the peacekeeping operations. On the ground of these findings, researchers can carry on their study to define policies conducted by the military in terms of peacekeeping operations.
In contrast, to inferential statistics, the descriptive statistics focuses on the description and analysis of the data collected in terms of the study and its main purpose is to describe certain trends and to describe what is going on in data. What is meant here is the fact that the descriptive statistics stands on the ground that the collected information in the course of the study should be just interpreted by the researcher and the researcher interprets the collected data, describes them, and makes certain conclusions. For instance, the military can use the descriptive statistics to analyze the effectiveness and accuracy of certain weapon. The weapon may be tested and the data concerning the results of shots made from the weapon. On the ground of the data collected in the course of the experiment, the research can make the conclusion concerning the accuracy of the weapon tested.
Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the inferential and descriptive statistics are very important to conduct studies. At the same time, they are applied in different studies and they may complement each other.