Overview – In this project, you will find a set of data, or (better) create a set of data to solve a REAL problem or throw light on a condition, preferably one related to your real-life experience or your field of study. It must
have sufficient depth so that the result is not obvious before you begin,
have several layers of analysis and
be a problem whose solution can be guided, if not determined, by data or where the issue can be illuminated by the data.
First Part – Preliminary Issue Identification (Sept 3)
For this part, you should have a problem statement. This should include a basic description of the issue, background information (what/who is involved in this issue and why is it important to you?), and what kind of data would shed light on the issue. No more than one page of description, preferably half a page, but enough information to convince me you’ve given real thought to it.
Remember to begin with the end in mind. Think about the conclusions or decisions you want to make.
Write a problem statement. Look at HYPERLINK “http://www.ceptara.com/blog/how-to-write-problem-statement”http://www.ceptara.com/blog/how-to-write-problem-statement.
Second Part – Data Collection Plan (Sept 24)
What data will you obtain, and how will you obtain it. If using a source of data already in existence, identify that source, including all variables and the number of observations available for each. If you will need to create a data set, how will you do that? What methodology (observation, experiment, survey)? Whose assistance or cooperation will be needed? Try to anticipate any issues you might face. Then collect the data for Part 3.
Third Part – Preliminary Data Analysis / Data Exploration (Oct 15)
The data must be ready for analysis. Explore the data. Graph it in as many ways as needed to understand it. If appropriate, compute summary measures. Also, determine what analyses you will perform. Discuss this with me if you have any questions.
Fourth Part –Data Analysis (Nov 12)
For this, you will need to conduct at least one major analysis, hopefully several, to help answer the question with which you started. These can include computing confidence intervals, conducting hypothesis tests, and/or computing correlations and regression line equations. Only doanalyses that will help you answer your question.
Fifth Part – Final Report and Presentation (Nov 22 & 24)
The final report (including the key pieces of all of the above parts) should be put in a form that shows the level of thought and analysis involved. The presentation (5 minutes) should hit the highlights, including clear issue statement, overview of data collection and any key findings from the data exploration, a summary of the analysis, and the conclusions regarding the original issue. You may use PowerPoint or other presentation mode to communicate effectively.