The project requires you to synthesize the material from the course. Hence, it?s one of the best ways to solidify your understanding of concepts in this course. Plus, you get answers to issues that pique your intellectual curiosity. In addition, you will summarize at least 3 scholarly articles related to the topic you are investigating. You are encouraged to work in groups of two to three people on the project. However, you can also choose to do this project as an individual. For group projects each member of the group will receive the same grade. The proposal for your project will be posted in the discussion room for week 3. Your final project will be presented (posted) the last week of class (week 7). Please use a power point, an online web source such as Weebly or Wix, or some other visual means to display your work. You should get started on the project as early as possible, particularly in determining if you will work solo or in a small group. You need to think about how you will procure data and collect background information from scholarly sources. Keep in mind that by the end of the course, you will have learned many statistical techniques, such as collecting data, organizing and displaying data, analyzing data, interpreting data, and making predictions. More information on the project is included in this document. Some ideas for projects The most important aspects of any statistical analysis are stating questions and collecting data. Hence, to get the full experience of running your own study, the project requires you to analyze data that you collect. You are permitted to collect or gather data off of the web; however, you or your team members must decide on the analyses and puts the data set together. Good projects begin with very clear and well-defined hypotheses. You should think of questions that interest you first, then consider how to collect and analyze data to address those questions. Generally, vague topics lead to uninteresting projects. For example, surveying POC undergraduates to see which sex studies more doesn?t yield a a lot of interesting conclusions. On the other hand, it would be interesting to hypothesize why men or women study more, and then figure out how to collect and analyze data to test your hypotheses. That is, determining the relationship between gender, study time, and other factors such as being the primary or contributing head of household. Below is a list of some successful project topics that have been conducted by past statistics students. This isn?t a list that you have to pick from; instead, consider the list a tool for generating ideas. Does birth order affect academic success and achievement? What is more important factor to consider when choosing a major: interest in the subject, career aspirations, family influence, or ability in the subject area? Are policies that reduce governmental debt also associated with reduction in quality of life? Are males or females more impatient? Are there gender differences in the belief that technology often fails? What is more efficacious: studying with or without music? What is the effect of divorce on childrens grades? How do homeschooled children compare to traditionally schooled children on college entrance exams? How much violence is there on television? Do television networks differ in the amount of violence? Could a person?s taste in music offer hints about his or her personality? Previous research has suggested that people who prefer certain styles of music tend to exhibit similar personality traits. It is important to be thoughtful about, and provide an adequate des?r?ption of, the methods and design of the study. It is expected that you will consult at least 3 scholarly references related to the topic you choose. Report on the possible biases associated with your data collection. You also need to be realistic in planning your research design: can you carry out what you have planned within a reasonable time period and investment of your own energy? The quality of the final product is what counts, not just the amount of perspiration that went into it! Finally, you should make use of the concepts and methods learned in this course, and not just general knowledge, in planning and completing this type of project. Practical Advice It is often easier to collect accurate experimental data than accurate survey data. Non-response tends to be less of an issue with projects based on experiments than with those based on surveys. For those who want to do surveys, consider using students in certain courses as target populations or family and friends. Make every effort to get a random sample, and try to keep track of the characteristics of non-respondents. You will have non-response; your project won?t be penalized for non-response as long as you document it and hypothesize how it might affect your results. Project Proposal All members of your group or team should submit the same proposal (with all members? names and section leaders if appropriate). Choose one person to post the proposal and in your personal DQ response explain who that person is and what role you personally will play in the project development, and your interest in the topic. The proposal should be 1 3 pages. The instructor will return the proposals to you with comments. The more detailed your proposal, the better feedback you will get! Your proposal should address the following questions: What is the topic of your project? What question will your project answer? What are the main issues or problems you plan to address? Describe the data you plan on using or collecting, including the variables measured. What questions and/or concerns do you have about your project? What background information will you obtain from published sources? How will you present your project? {PowerPoint, website such as Weebly or Wix, or other visual). Each member needs to explain his or her personal interest in the project.
