Analyzing Data and Other Information

Planning an Applied Research Project Chapter 13 – Analyzing Data and Other Information© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Learning ObjectivesDescribe methods of analyzing dataFind limitations in poorly analyzed data Explain the steps in analyzing dataImprove skill in separating important from unimportant factsAnalyze information to make sense of itDetermine significance in data© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Key TermsAggregate analysisBar chartCausationCoding dataCoding manual Coding scheduleCohort analysisConnectionCorrelationCycle of codingData analysis spiralDeductive reasoningDependent variableFrequency distributionFrequency tableHistogramImputed dataIndependent variableInductive reasoningInter-rater reliability© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Key Terms (cont’d)KurtosisListwise deductionMeanMedianModePattern analysisPie chartSignificanceSource documentStandard deviationUnit of analysis© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Steps in Analyzing InformationCollect dataImmerse yourself in the dataAlign data with original purposeOrganize the dataIdentify relationshipsReview the dataInterpret the information and place it in a larger context© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Collecting the InformationPlan for what to collectMethod of collecting informationCoding the data collectedWay to organized information once collectedReviewing for patternsSorting information into categoriesTesting the categories on the dataDrawing conclusions about the patterns© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Analyzing Statistical DataComputing and examining the meanCalculating the medianComputing the modeDetermining the standard deviationCreating a frequency distributionCalculating a regression analysisConducting an analysis of variance© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Analyzing Qualitative DataUse the data analysis spiralImmerse yourself in the dataDevelop categories for the dataApply the categories to the dataTest their validity and usefulnessReview the categories again© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Coding Data for PrivacyProtects individual informationImproves objectivityRequires careful planDemands a system for the codesInvolves storage of original documents and copying coded documentsIs necessary for integrity of the study© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Organizing and Sorting InformationImmerse yourself in the dataDevelop categoriesEnter the categories into a software packageReview the categoriesPrepare to look for patterns© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Methods of Examining for PatternsQualitative and quantitative pattern analysisAggregate analysisCohort analysisQualitative data analysis spiralStatistical patternsMedian, mean, mode Frequency distribution and standard distributionCorrelation, regression analysis, and analysis of variance© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Uses of Aggregate AnalysisProvides an overall picture of the entire sampleUses only total responses from the questionnairesContributes limited insightCan be completed quicklyShows large scale picture of the data set© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Uses of Cohort AnalysisProvides detailed picture of various groupsUses demographic categories for the analysisProvides significant insightsTakes multiple iterations to find useful analysesIncorporate internal and external analysisSuggests recommendations for segments of the sample© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Inter-rater Reliability Measure of the similarity of responses among ratersKey to ensuring objectivity in interpreting informationComparison of responses of judges and often training them to use similar criteriaAssurance of value and validity of the qualitative findingsUseful in analyzing interview transcripts and other data that is not numerical© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Considering How to Display DataWhat is your purpose in the display?What do you want to show?What scale do you want to use for clarity of the image?What do you want on the x axis?What do you want on the y axis?How will you title the chart?What is the source of the data?© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Ways to Display DataChartsBar chartsPie chartTablesFrequency tablesGraphsHistograms© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Types of SignificanceConceptual significanceStatistical significanceConnectionCorrelationCausation© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Review of Class SessionAnything unclear?One thing that I was surprised to learn from this class is © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.