<em>Definition 1: The theory, methods, and practice of forming judgments about the parameters of a population and the reliability of statistical relationships, typically on the basis of random sampling.</em>
<em>Definition 2: The use of randomization in sampling allows for the analysis of results using the methods of statistical inference. Statistical inference is based on the laws of probability, and allows analysts to infer conclusions about a given population based on results observed through random sampling. Two of the key terms in statistical inference are parameter and statistic.</em>
