It is critical to know what kind of data you have, as just about every subsequent decision you make around statistics is based on this initial identification. Maria needs to understand her basic descriptive information about her clients in order to avoid exposure to anyone. She also needs to be applying the appropriate graphs for her categorical and quantitative data.
So what does all of this mean? We might tell Maria to make sure she really understands the type of data she has and how she is planning on presenting it in light of any possible ethical consideration. The way Maria chooses to describe her data can have an impact on the kinds of conclusions drawn.
So in dealing with data, not only must we be technically correct in determining the type of data we have and matching the appropriate descriptive statistics and graphical representations, we also must do so in a manner that accurately represents our phenomena and not allow our own biases and perspectives bend the data. Finally, as a data consumer, you should become more aware to the possibilities of misrepresentation of data, the material in this course will facilitate you learning critical questions as you harness the incredible power and influence of statistics.