Dummy variables are variables which basically
turn things into a yes/no question, and say that yes=1
and no=0 (or vice versa, I forget right
now).
Basically, dummy variables allow non-ordinal, non-numerical
data to be put into a similar form as those ordinal
and numerical data, so that statistical methods such
as regressions can be done using them.
Dummy
variables are sort of upper-level basic knowledge for
social sciences and statistics, and if anyone could
figure out a way to write a tossup on them, I think it
would be fair game for at least some
tournaments.
Methodology is something that is often not asked about.