so you’re doing some statistics: tips for researchers dr nandini kannan department of management...
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So You’re Doing Some Statistics: Tips for Researchers
Dr Nandini KannanDepartment of Management Science and Statistics
Michael AndersonUTSA Statistical Consulting Center
You’re beginning an adventure…
Adventure is just bad planning. --Roald Amundsen (1872-1928)
When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers. --Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
So Prepare!
It’s easy to get in tough spot—too tough to recover
You can avoid that by planning ahead
How to Prepare
Literature search Statistical analysis
plan Data collection Pilot study Archive your materials Data analysis Report your results
Literature Search
Models appropriate to your research Measurement scales Measurement instruments Validity checks Standard analysis techniques Experimental protocols or sampling
plans Standards of evidence
Statistical Analysis Plan Research hypothesis: testable? Measurements and validity
checks Experiment or sampling design Sample size calculation Data collection procedures Statistical procedures: use the
stats you need, not just the ones you know (there’s more to life than just the t-test)
Data Collection
Set measurement protocol
Estimate level of effort to collect data
Checksheets or questionnaires
Procedures for data collectors
Make data recording robust (avoid errors)
Pilot Study
“Test drive” your Experiments or sampling
plan Measurements Sample size calculations Data collection Data archiving Data analysis
Revise plan or procedures as necessary
Archiving: don’t bet your dissertation on a single flash
drive
Make copies of source documents (checksheets, surveys)
Make archival copies of computer datasets – multiple copies of each time-stamped version
Keep a BOUND notebook recording every step of your project
Save copies of all analysis steps (SAS code, SPSS scripts, etc.)
Exercise your stored analyses
Store copies in safe, physically separate locations
Analyze your data
Follow the statistical analysis plan!
If things start going wrong, get help*
Missing data, minor variation can be fixed
Bad design can’t
Report Your Results Summarize your
analysis plan Use tabular
displays of statistics Illustrate key
findings with statistical graphs
Report effect sizes along with p-values
Avoid techno-jargon
*If things start going wrong, get help
Your dissertation advisor UTSA Statistical Consulting Center
website http://business.utsa.edu/scc email SCC@utsa.edu
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