The terms datum and data

The word data is a plural word indicating more than one piece of numerical information. The singular form of the term is datum. As the statistical analyses described in this book always analyze more than one data point the term data is used throughout. Accordingly, accompanying plural words are used in conjunction with the word data. Examples are the data are, the data were, these data, the data show.  

If you have any uncertainty as to how to construct a phrase including the word data, replace the word data in your mind with the word results. While the words data and results are not synonymous, the word results is a plural construct, as is the word data. This strategy will likely help you express a phrase including the word data correctly. 

The word datum does not occur again in this book. 

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