When you're dealing with data, it's essential that you have a good grasp of the terms used to describe aspects of the variables.

Here you'll find out about a range of descriptions that can be used, together with advice on when to use one type and not another. The illustrations are based mainly on the TimeWeb sample data which is always available by following the link at the top of every page..

There are four main areas of this section and you can access them at any time using the navigation bar on the left. The four sections are:

• Explanation - a brief guide to the issues relating to describing data and data types
• Illustration - illustrations of the different terminology that can be used to describe data
• Worksheets - a worksheet looking at volume, price and value
• Review - a brief summary of the topics covered in the 'describing' section and a final activity on re-basing an index

Why not try the final activity on re-basing an index to test your understanding?