“Numbers” data is best described as which type?

• A. Quantitative
• B. Qualitative
• C. Descriptive
• D. Narrative

Answer: (A)

Numbers data are measurements or counts, so they are quantitative. They provide numeric values that allow arithmetic and statistical analysis, such as calculating averages, rates, or trends. Qualitative data describe categories or qualities in words (like colors or patient notes) and aren’t meant to be averaged. Descriptive and narrative refer to ways of presenting or interpreting data rather than the data type itself. For example, recording a patient’s blood pressure in numbers is quantitative, while recording eye color is qualitative.