How to conduct descriptive statistics online: A brief hands-on guide for biomedical researchers

Abstract

Background: Descriptive statistics is the first step of data analysis. In biomedical researches, inferential statistical tests are invariably conducted after descriptive statistical tests for getting a summary of the data. Many resource-limited settings may not have dedicated software for carrying out these tests. Aim: This article aimed to provide a brief technical guide about the conduct of descriptive statistics with visualization that can be done without any dedicated statistical software package. Methods: We searched for online tools that provide free service for the conduct of descriptive statistics. The example data were fabricated for the conduct of the test online. The visualization of the data (i.e., figures) was explained in brief, wherever necessary. Results: We described the method to graph and summarize the data using a pie chart, frequency table, stem and leaf display, histogram, frequency polygon, box plot, bar chart, stacked bar chart, line graph, dot plot, central tendency, variance, quantile-quantile plot, scatter plot, and Venn diagram. All these tests and visualization were done online without any installed dedicated software package. Conclusion: This article provides a brief technical guide for conducting common descriptive statistical tests online. Researchers in any resource-limited settings may use these services to summarize and visualize the data online from public domain websites.