Project I - Observational Study

UNDER - DEVELOPMENT

Your first self-directed project will be an analysis of your own choosing using data that you produce on your own from either personal observations or surveys. Ideally, this project should be of personal interest to you. If you are having difficulty creating your own data you may find existing data and then do analysis on it. I will also be providing one or two data sets that you may use.

Big Idea

Your goal is to tell a story using observational data. Strive to develop a theme, goal or guiding idea, this will give your story context, meaning and purpose. Imagine you are communicating your results to the local newspaper or a community blog, or to local politicians or community leaders.

Developing your Topic

Minimum Requirement

Ultilize a slide show medium. Select two primary variables of interest (response variables). Ideally, your primary response variables should be one numerical variable and one categorical variable. But, depending on your choice of project you might have only one response variable or either two numerical or two categorical. For your response variables you should try to identify at least 2 explanatory variable. You will probably develop 2 separate analyses (one for each of your response variables). Your results need to include tables, graphics and discussion.

Include the following;

I. Introduction

Why did you choose this topic? What did you expect to find? Have similar studies been done elsewhere? Why should the reader be interested in your results and continue reading?

II. Summary of Data Analysis Methods

How did you get your data? Describe your sampling methods. Describe your sample. What were your response and explanatory variables? What groups did you compare?

III. Analysis of Results

Include appropriate numerical and graphical summaries of your data. What relationships did you find? Write narratives explaining what you found in these data. What conclusions can you draw? Make sure all figures and graphs are clearly labeled.

IV. Conclusion

Summarize the results of your study. What did you learn? Did the data behave as you expected? Is there anything you would do differently next time? How might this affect the conclusions of the study? What additional questions might someone choose to investigate in the future to build on your results?

Grading Rubric

I am looking for a well-told story that shows creativity, curiosity and a desire to really dig into the data to uncover and document relationships we would not have known (or expected?) TBA