Observation vs Inference

ObservationUsing your 5 senses to gather information

Can be QUANTITATIVE or QUALITATIVE

Qualitative – Uses descriptive words “The book is heavy”

Quantitative – Uses numbers“The book weighs 10 Kg”

Observations should be OBJECTIVE (without bias) not SUBJECTIVE (open to personal bias)

InferenceA logical interpretation/explanation of an

observation

Example:Observation - The Grass is Wet

Possible Inferences:The sprinkler was onThere is dew on the grassA dog peed on itIt rained

Make a list/table of 5 observations and 5 inferences for this picture. You should have both qualitative and quantitative data.