During the semester, you will conduct and report on a statistical study related to a topic of your choosing. This may be a survey, an observational study, or an experiment; you can use existing data or collect your own. Your final grade will be based on a rubric, and will be a combination of peer evaluations and instructor evaluation. The final project must be submitted to me by Sunday midnight of July 31 (end of Week 12), so that we can evaluate them as a class during Week 13. Data collected completely and thoughtfully (i.e., either using correct statistical methods or having a good reason to alter them) Project contains sections for background, literature review, research questions, hypotheses, methodology, results, and limitations/conclusion.o Project correctly uses analytic techniques covered in the course (or other statistical techniques that were independently researched). Group member(s) demonstrate understanding of statistical techniques used. Visuals display the ata and/or statistical analysis accurately and in a clear, understandable way. Presentation is easy to see, hear, and follow. Presenter is not just reading from slides. The equivalent of one-page, double-spaced. It describes the key limitations of the study and demonstrates clear reflection over the process and/or ideas for extending the study.
Topic: Is there a higher incidence of cancer in states that have a nuclear power plant? Please advise on hypothesis!
Research Project (Due July 31) Research Project (Due July 31) Research Project Information Let’s work backwards. We’ll be critiquing research presentations in Week 13, and so remember that the full research project and video are due by midnight of Sunday, July 31 (as per the syllabus). The research project is worth 50 points, the same amount as the final exam. Of those 50 points, 30 points will come from my use of this rubric, and the other 20 points will come from your classmates’ ratings of the overall quality of your project (with some overview by me; more on that in Week 13). You’ll need to make a video presentation (target 5-10 minutes) that includes the following components. Notice that, in order to stick to the suggested time range, you will only be able to do a brief coverage of each section. Remember that this is a miniature research project to get the feel for research; it’s not a dissertation! You do not need to turn in any written report, other than the 1-page reflection (see the rubric for a description of the reflection; you can just email me the reflection when you’re done or add it at the end of your Google Docs Journal — try to get that reflection to me by Wednesday, August 3). 1.
Background. A short introduction to the topic–why did you choose it? What importance does it have (to you or others)? 2. Literature Review. I’m calling this a “literature review,” but this is more just a shadow of a real literature review. I’d like you to locate 3 studies related to your topic and summarize the main results (feel free to use studies you’ve used in this course already or that have been recommended to you). To refer to the studies, just use the author(s) last names and then the year in parenthesis. For example, Showalter (2014) found that… 3. Research Question(s). What were you trying to find out with your study? (The research question should be phrased in a way that can be addressed with statistical methods.) 4. Hypotheses. Before conducting the study, what would your life experience/knowledge lead you to think the outcome would be? If your study is a null hypothesis test, include both the research hypothesis and the null hypothesis. 5. Methodology.
Topic: Is there a higher incidence of cancer in states that have a nuclear power plant? Please advise on hypothesis!
Where did you get the data, and what statistical test or approach did you use to analyze the data? (How do I know which test to use?!? We’ve covered a few tests in this course, but here is a much more complete table. To find the correct statistical test in the table, you’ll first need to understand the nature of variables and the difference between dependent variables (DV) and independent variables (IV). Once you know which test to use, try an internet search on how to conduct it or just write me (I’d love to discuss it with you!). The basic setup of most null hypothesis tests follows the same steps that we covered in Week 8. 6. Results. What were the results of the statistical test or approach you used? How did this answer the research question? 7. Limitations and Conclusion. Briefly summarize the study as a whole and any limitations with it. Interpret the results section in plain English (not statistical terms). So, how do you actually make all this into a presentation? I’m fine with however you want to do it, as long as you include those seven components in a 5-10 minute video that your classmates and I can access. Add this video to the Discussion forum below. Here’s an example of an A level project and presentation from a previous semester from Joseph Mumaw: video If you prefer more specific guidelines, follow these: 1. Make a slide presentation on PowerPoint, Prezi, or Google Slides. Dedicate roughly one or two slides to each of the seven sections. 2. Use Screencast-O-Matic (free software) to record your computer screen as you go through each slide orally (Note: I have heard from some students that their device, such as Chromebook, may not be compatible with this software; if you find that to be the case, you may just want to make your video directly on YouTube.). When the recording is finished, you can either save it directly to YouTube (or upload it there) and then present us with a link. If you already have a YouTube channel, that might be easiest — if you don’t, a step-by-step instruction guide can be found here and here. Either way, give us access to the presentation in the Discussion forum below. The software is relatively straightforward, but I recommend a couple short 10-second test runs to make sure you understand how it works before you invest too much time. If this technology part is at all stressful for you, contact me and I’ll be glad to walk you through it step by step. Research projects Forum Use this forum to provide us with access to a video of your research presentation. (This might be a YouTube link or perhaps you’ll find another way. If you need help, contact me with simple questions and the EMU Help Desk with more complex questions!) No need to include anything other than the video, but please feel free to write text disclaimers or explanations if you want to!