Research Methods, Data Analysis, and Practice Evaluation IISOCIAL WORK 4810

(3 credit hours)

Instructor: Cassandra Barragan MSW Email: ec0676@wayne.eduDay: Wednesdays 8:30 – 11:15 am Phone/text: 248-790-1378Location: University Center Office hours: By appointmentRoom: TBD

COURSE DESCRIPTIONThis course is a continuation of S W 3810. The course includes information on the integration of inferential statistics and components of quantitative and qualitative designs appropriate for evaluating service delivery and related policy.

This course builds on and expands knowledge and skills for social work research covered in SW 3810, including the application of data analysis and statistical techniques, and the use the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

COURSE COMPETENCIES AND PRACTICE BEHAVIORS FOR THIS COURSE

Competency 3: Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgmentsPractice Behavior: 3B) analyze models of assessment, prevention, intervention and evaluation

Competency 6: Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed researchPractice Behavior: 6B) use research evidence to inform practice

Competency 10: Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communitiesPractice Behaviors: ASSESSMENT: A1. collect, organize and interpret client dataEVALUATION: D1. evaluate and assess interventions

TEXTS AND REQUIRED MATERIAL

Required Text:Rubin, A. (2013). Statistics for Evidence-Based Practice and Evaluation. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

Required Software:SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) is available to students for FREE at the WSU Software clearinghouse:

https://commerce.wayne.edu/clearinghouse/customer/account/login/For further assistance with installing SPSS, contact C&IT support at (313) 577-4778 or at helpdesk@wayne.edu

Recommended Text: Rubin, A. & Babbie, E. (2013). Essential research methods for social work. Independence, KY: Cengage Learning (You may utilize the earlier edition of Rubin & Babbie that was purchased in previous semester)

INTRODUCTION:Specific topics include:

1. An introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics with particular emphasis placed on bivariate analyses.

2. Ethical and human diversity issues associated with analyzing and interpreting data collected from culturally diverse, disenfranchised, and at-risk populations.

3. Specific emphasis will be given to the use of practice knowledge to inform social work research and the use of research findings to inform social work practice.

Performance Criteria:

Through written assignments, quizzes [or tests] and class participation, the students will be expected to achieve the competencies identified above.

Grading and Assignments

Assignment Percentage Points Competencies

Attendance & Participation – Articles 10% 100 3,6,10

Test #1 25% 100 3,6,10

Test #2 25% 100 3,6,10

Assignment #1: Measurement in Social Work Research 20% 250 3, 10

Assignment#2: Data Presentation 20% 250 6,10

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Total 100% 800

BENCHMARK ASSIGNMENTS Measurement Assignment: Students will demonstrate the ability to develop measurement tools and apply understanding of practice context and peer-reviewed literature as they relate to measurement. Students will convey understanding of the concepts of level of measurement and show the ability to translate measurement instruments to SPSS data format.

Data Presentation Assignment: Students will demonstrate the ability to independently analyze and interpret descriptive and inferential statistical analyses and to report on the meaning and implications of the results.

Grading Policy :

Students may pass the course with a grade of D but must maintain a C average during the junior and senior year. (See Undergraduate Bulletin, Wayne State University http://www.bulletins.wayne.edu/ubk-output/index.html)

Grade distribution:100-95 A 94.9-90 A- 89.9-87 B+ 86.9-83 B 82.9-80 B- 79.9-77 C+79.9-77 C+ 76.9-73 C 72.9-70 C- 69.9-67 D+ 66.9-63 D 62.9-60 D-

ORGANIZATION OF THE COURSE

This is a three-credit course composed of lecture, discussion, and practice in data analysis. Course sessions will focus on:

1. Describing the basic principles of hypothesis testing and probability theory 2. Developing reports of statistical findings, including descriptive and inferential

analyses 3. Identifying and addressing ethical, cultural and political issues associated with

the analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of empirical data evaluating social work interventions, programs and policy outcomes with culturally diverse, disenfranchised, and or at-risk populations

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4. Using research findings as an essential component for ongoing professional development by engaging in evidence-based social work practice Identify, critically analyze and evaluate published sources of research appropriate for the research question and population and assess their implications for social work practice and social welfare policy in varied social work contexts Use practice knowledge to identify research problems and design measurable research questions

5. Identification and description of the steps of the research process and their interrelationships

6. The development of measurement instruments with consideration for the relationship between operational definitions and quantifying variables, including reliability and validity considerations salient to the measurement process Understand the basic application and interpretation of descriptive and inferential statistics; and

7. Instruction in the use of SPSS to test hypotheses and conduct basic descriptive and inferential analyses.

ROLE OF THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR

See University Statement of Obligation of Students and Faculty Members of the teaching - learning process http://www.bulletins.wayne.edu/fib/fib2d.html

WSU STUDENT RESOURCES

Students with disabilitieshttp://studentdisability.wayne.edu/rights.php.

Academic integrity and student code of conducthttp://www.doso.wayne.edu/student-conduct/Academic_Integrity.html

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Wayne State:http://www.caps.wayne.edu/

POLICIES FOR THIS COURSE

1. The Wayne State University Statement of Obligations of Students and Faculty Members to the Teaching and Learning Process identify the role of students and instructors. Students can find this statement at the following WSU web address, http://www.bulletins.wayne.edu/ubk-output/gen18.html#15234.

2. Students are expected to participate in class by, (a) contributing to class

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discussions and small group exercises, (b) sharing their responses to course readings and issues and topics raised in class, and (c) asking questions.

3. Student Disability Services - If you have a documented disability that requires accommodations, you will need to register with Student Disability Services for coordination of your academic accommodations. The Student Disability Services (SDS) office is located at 1600 David Adamany Undergraduate Library in the Student Academic Success Services department. SDS telephone number is 313-577-1851 or 313-577-3365 (TTY: telecommunication device for the deaf; phone for hearing impaired students only). Once you have your accommodations in place, I will be glad to meet with you privately during my office hours to discuss your special needs. Student Disability Services’ mission is to assist the university in creating an accessible community where students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to fully participate in their educational experience at Wayne State University

4. The Wayne State University Writing Center is the place to talk about your writing. Whether you are working on your first or final draft, the Writing Center is available to advise you at any step of the writing process. Services are free to all Wayne State University students and faculty. Services include: one-on-one tutoring; a library covering grammar, style and documentation; and computer access. The Wayne State University's Writing Center is also piloting OWL (online writing lab) called HOOT. HOOT stands for "Hypertext One-on-one Tutoring" and it will enable students to e-mail us their papers for commenting. Depending on the student's level of comfort with this technology, we will be able to leave comments in HTML, audio, or video. Learn more about Writing Center services at http://www.clas.wayne.edu/writing/

5. Attendance & Participation Policy

The University’s policy on attendance states, “Students are expected to attend all sessions of courses for which they are registered and to notify the instructor or his or her secretary prior to the class sessions, if possible, when the student may be absent due to illness or similar emergency.”

In addition to attending all class sessions, students should arrive for class on time. Students who arrive late miss important information and disturb their classmates. Students are expected to complete assigned reading and come prepared to participate in classroom discussions. Please note that attendance and participation are worth 10% of your grade.

6. Assignments and Grades

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Scores earned for graded assignments and/or quizzes determine final course grades. Handouts, distributed in class, specify the criteria used to assess student performance on graded assignments.

All assignments are due on the date specified by the instructor. Late assignments are penalized by 10% points off the points earned. Deadline for submission of late assignments is no later than 24 hours before the next class. Exceptions can be made in extreme circumstances. To avoid the late penalty contact the instructor at least 48 hours before the assignment is due and request an extension. Make-up examinations are available only under unusual and unavoidable circumstances.

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Course Learning UnitsThe following is an outline for class meetings, with reading assignments for each. Readings should be completed in advance of class, to permit participation in discussion.

Unit Content Reading

Unit 1 Review syllabus, graded assignments, & introduction to course goals and objectives.Review logic of probability sampling and experimental, non-experimental designs, causal inference, correlational design

Rubin: Chapter 1

Unit 2 Levels of measurement, coding, introduction to univariate and bivariate analyses

Rubin: Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 5

Unit 3 SPSS Introduction, data entry, conducting descriptive statistics and correlation analysis in SPSS

Unit 4 Review of hypothesis testing, statistical significance, measures of associationProbability theory, sampling distributions, and testing the null hypothesis, Type I and Type II errors

Rubin: Chapter 7 Chapter 11 Chapter 12

Unit 5 Probability theory and hypothesis testing continued, introduction to correlation

Rubin: Chapter 10

Unit 6 Review of basic descriptive statistics: Frequency distributions, and graphs, and measures of central tendency, normal distributions, z-scores, percentiles, and effect size.

Rubin: Chapter 4 Chapter 6 Chapter 8 Chapter 9

Unit 7 Cross Tabulation & Chi-Square Rubin: Chapter 16

Unit 8 T-Tests Rubin: Chapter 14

Unit 9 Correlation Rubin: Chapter 13 Chapter 17

Unit 10 Analysis of variance (ANOVA)Bivariate Analysis

Rubin: Chapter 15

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Assignment Due for review Final Due date

Assignment #1: Measurement in Social Work Research

Part 1: Paper September 3

October 1Part 2: Survey September 17

Part 3: Codebook September 24

Part 4: Data set Setup September 24

Assignment #2: Data Presentation

Part 1: Research Questions October 8

December 3Part 2: Output file (in class) October 15 - October 29

Part 3: Report October 22 – November 19

Exams

Mid-term October 8

Final December 10

Articles

Throughout the semester, you will each bring in two articles to present to the class. The first is a peer reviewed article and you will briefly present the “tips and tails” to

the class. The second is a research related article from the news or other media. You will briefly

present the article and its relevance to research – and whether or not it is “valid research”.

This is part of your participation and attendance.

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Assignment #1

Measurement in Social Work Research

PurposeThe purpose of this assignment is for students to gain exposure to the development of measurement tools and proficiency applying understanding of practice context and peer-reviewed literature as it relates to measurement. In addition, the assignment gives students the opportunity to demonstrate understanding of the concepts of level of measurement and ability to translate measurement instruments to SPSS data format. Assignment RequirementsImagine that you are developing an instrument to assess client outcomes at an agency where you work, intern or volunteer. Your objective is to create a short survey to assess at least one of the desired outcomes for the client population. As an evidence-based social work practitioner, you know that part of creating an appropriate outcome measure is to consult available resources, including the peer-reviewed literature, for guidance as well as your understanding of the ethical, cultural and political issues associated with conducting research with culturally diverse, disenfranchised and at-risk populations. You may decide to revise the existing survey or adapt/adopt an outcome instrument from another source, such as the peer-reviewed social work literature. HELPFUL READINGS: 1) Review the Rubin chapter on measurement2) Review the “Asking Questions with a Purpose” handout, posted on Blackboard

Your assignment must include:

Part 1. Paper: Approximately 2-3 page paper that provides a justification or rationale for why you are recommending use of this survey tool. Your justification should include:

A. Description of the agency setting, services provided in the program and client population and brief discussion of how this impacts measurement,B. Conceptual definition of the outcomes assessed and discussion of why they are selected,C. At least one peer-reviewed article that speaks to some element of measurement. That article should be attached to your assignment.

Part 2. Survey: A survey instrument measuring the desired client outcome(s) (approximately one page)

A. It should be formatted as if you were going to administer the survey to a clientB. Response options and instructions on how to complete the survey should be included.

Part 3. Codebook: A codebook for the questions and responses.

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A. Include the variable name associated with each question on the surveyB. Include question numbers for the response categories for individual questions, include variable name, label, description, value, and level of measurement. C. The idea is that any person – even someone unfamiliar with your survey – could look at your SPSS data set and understand how the variables in the data set link to the questions in the survey. The codebook provides that link.

Example Codebook (complete in Word or Excel)Question #1 in the survey: “What is your gender?” Variable label: SexVariable description: Gender of the respondent.Variable values: 1= Female, 2=Male, SYSMIS= 999Level of Measurement: Nominal

Question #2 in the survey: “How old are you in years?”Variable label: AgeVariable description: Age of Respondent in YearsVariable values: Range from 1- 95, SYSMIS=9999Level of Measurement: Interval

Question #15 in the survey: “How satisfied are you with your job?”Variable label: Q15JobSatVariable description: Satisfaction with JobVariable values: 1= Very Dissatisfied, 2= Dissatisfied, 3= Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied, 4= Satisfied, 5= Very Satisfied, SYSMIS= 999. Level of Measurement: Ordinal

Part 4. Data set Setup: Create a SPSS data set. Your SPSS data set should include:A. The name of the variable. The name of the variable should be directly linked to the question as indicated in the codebook. The name of the variable in the codebook and the SPSS file should be the same. B. A label for the variable that is appropriate for the variable. C. The values for that variableD. Values to be entered for missing dataE. The appropriate level of measurement (nominal, ordinal, scale).

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Assignment #2: Data Presentation

PurposeThe purpose of this assignment is to assess students’ ability to compute and interpret descriptive and inferential statistical analyses using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Ultimately, this assignment is designed to strengthen students’ practice evaluation skills by enhancing their overall data analysis and interpretation skills and competencies.

General InformationReview the variables in the dataset provided by the instructor.

Explore the variables in the dataset and choose several that may be of interest to you for the assignment. Ultimately, you will be testing hypotheses that relate two (or more) variables. With this in mind, you will need to select variables that have the appropriate level of measurement for the three statistical tests outlined below.

You may work in pairs or groups for this assignment. However, keep in mind that your write-up should be original and reflect your own work!

Assignment Requirements

Part I Pose three research questions concerning the relationship between variables in the data set. The requirements for each type of question are described below. You will need to provide a planning table for each of your analyses (see example on next page).

Question #1. One question must examine the relationship between two variables that are nominal or ordinal-level. (Chi Square)

Question #2. One question must test for statistically significant correlations between interval or ratio-level variables. (Correlation)

Question #3. One question must test for statistically significant differences between the means of two groups. (T-test)

Question #4. One question must test for statistically significant differences between the means of three or more groups (ANOVA).

Part I Example:Data Presentation Assignment, Part IResearch Questions, null and alternative hypotheses

1. Pearson ra. Research Question: What is the relationship between years of education and

reported hours of TV watching?

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b. Null hypothesis: There is not a relationship between years of education and reported hours of TV watching

c. Alternative hypothesis: There is a relationship between years of education and reported TV watching.

2. Chi Squarea. Research Question: Is there an association between gender and religious

affiliation?b. Null hypothesis: There is not an association between gender and religious

affiliationc. Alternative hypothesis: There is an association between gender and religious

affiliation3. Analysis of Variance (you need ANOVA OR T-test)

a. What is the relationship between racial group and reported hours of TV watching?

b. Null hypothesis: There is not a relationship between racial group and reported hours of TV watching

c. Alternative hypothesis: There is a relationship between racial group and reported hours of TV watching.

You should use a planning table as you begin to write this paper to think about each of your research questions and the level of measurement of all your outcome variables. Example Planning Table

Statistical Test Example of Independent Variable (level of measurement)

Dependent Variable (level of measurement)

Pearson r (correlation) Years of education(ratio)

Number of TV hours (ratio)

Chi-Square Gender (nominal) Religious affiliation (nominal)

ANOVA Racial group (nominal) Number of TV Hours (ratio)

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Part 2. Submit the Output file based on your research questions and planning table submitted for part I. Your instructor will review and grade your output file and give feedback on your analysis prior to completion of part III.

Part 3. The report must be organized in the following manner.1. Sample

A. Describe how each of the variables used in the analysis were measured.

B. Conduct appropriate descriptive analyses of the variables in the data set and present the results of your analyses and your interpretation of the data, using both tables and text.

EXAMPLE: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS TABLETable 1: Example of Categorical, Ordinal, or Nominal Descriptives.

n (%)Gender Male 44 (50%) Female 44 (50%)Race Black 22 (25%) White 44 (50%) Other 22 (25%)

Satisfaction with social worker Very satisfied Somewhat Satisfied Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied

Table 2: Example of Interval Level Descriptives.

n Mean SDAge (in years) 88 34.4 5.3Years of Education 84 12.5 7.7Other Important Demographic Variable

88 x x

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C. Write a brief one-paragraph summary of the data presented in the descriptive statistics table. The summary should not simply restate the statistics presented in the table. Instead, the summary should direct the reader to the most important statistics while summarizing the statistics for all variables presented in the table.D. Discuss the degree to which this sample could be considered representative.E. Discuss how the sample characteristics might impact generalizability.

2. Bivariate Analysis A. State the research question.B. Describe the statistical techniques you used to answer the research question.C. Conduct appropriate analyses for each of the three research questions and

report the findings in APA format. Present appropriate tables or charts to illustrate the results of your analysis. Consult the APA manual for guidance. Please note that simply copying and pasting SPSS output is not appropriate APA format!

D. Write a brief one-paragraph summary of the meaning of the results. Briefly summarize the meaning of the data in terms of statistical and practical significance. What were the significant differences or relationships? Are they meaningful? Consider the strength and direction of relationships, the amount of variance explained and the meaning of differences.

Note: Bivariate Analysis Section. For each bivariate analysis (item 2C), you should do the following:

Step 1. State a null and alternative hypothesis for each statistical test, and the significance level you are establishing for rejecting the null hypothesis. Please state the independent and dependent variables for each of your hypotheses. Step 2. Describe the statistical techniques you used to answer the research question.Step 3. Present appropriate results of your analysis (see additional notes, next page).

(Don’t just copy the examples that the instructor has presented in class. Come up with your own research inquiries that YOU find interesting!)3. Implications

Discuss the ‘real world’ significance of the results of your analyses. How can these findings inform further research on the topics that you explored in your analysis? What additional relationships should be examined?

Additional Notes on Reporting Statistical TestsThere a several ways of reporting each statistical test. Examples are shown below—you may use other methods of presentation that are shown in your textbook.

1. (χ2 =2.8, df=2, p > .05)2. T-test (t=1.8, df=10, p <.05)3. Analysis of Variance (F=2.3, df=12, p< .05)4. Correlation (Pearson R): (r=0.40, r2=0.16, p < 0.05)

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Before you submit your paper check the following:1. Are your hypotheses appropriately stated (null and alternative hypothesis)? 2. Did you identify the significance level? IV? DV?3. Did you state whether to accept or reject the null hypothesis? 4. Did you present appropriate results? 5. Did your conclusions follow appropriately from the results you presented?

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Assignment #1 Grading RubricMeasurement in Social Work Research

Your assignment will be graded based on the assignment requirements and grading criteria.General Criteria:

1. Thoroughness of the paper. 2. The appropriateness of the outcome measure for your practice context and population.3. Quality of the paper with regard to writing. Your paper should be succinct and clearly

written. You should proof read your paper carefully.

Part 1. Provide a justification or rationale for why you are recommending use of this survey tool. Your justification should include:

A. Description of the agency setting, services provided in the program and client population and brief discussion of how this impacts measurement.

Did the student do a good job telling me about the agency setting, client population, and the impact of the measurement?

B. Conceptual definition of the outcomes assessed and discussion of why they are selected.After reading the paper do I understand what outcomes the student is looking for and why they thought these outcomes were important?

C. At least one peer-reviewed article that speaks to some element of measurement. That article should be attached to your assignment.

Did the student pick a strong peer-reviewed article that addresses the outcome they have chosen to measure? Did the student incorporate information from the article into their own measure?

Part 2. A survey instrument measuring the desired client outcome(s) (approximately one page)

A. It should be formatted as if you were going to administer the survey to a client.Does the survey appear to be formatted as if the student were actually going to administer this to a client?

Do the questions appear to be asked in a manner that is clear and easy for client to understand (no double barreled questions)?

B. Response options and instructions on how to complete the survey should be includedAre their instructions included at the beginning of the survey and are they clear and understandable?

Part 3: SPSS codebook

A. Include the variable name associated with each question on the survey.Does the variable have a name and is it easy to understand? 3 points

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B. Include question numbers for the response categories for individual questions, include variable name, label, description, value, and level of measurement.

Did the student include the variable name, label, description, value, and level of measurement

C. The idea is that any person – even someone unfamiliar with your survey – could look at your SPSS data set and understand how the variables in the data set link to the questions in the survey. The codebook provides that link.

Is the codebook understandable and well-organized? Are questions in the same order on the survey and the codebook?

Part 4.: SPSS datafile You need to create an SPSS data file with the variable information associated with your survey included. You do NOT need to enter any data into the data file, just make sure you establish your variable definitions using “variable view”. The idea is that any person – even someone unfamiliar with your survey – could look at your SPSS data set and understand how the variables in the data set link to the questions in the survey. For example, if you were to give me a completed survey and the data file, I should be able to enter the data from the survey into the SPSS data file.

Is there a data file with variable information included with the survey? Are variables, labels, and values included in the SPSS file? Is the SPSS file arranged in a clear and well-organized manner that is easy to understand (ie. are variable names in the same order as on the survey)?

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Assignment #2 Grading RubricData Presentation Assignment

Part I. Pose four research questions concerning the relationship between variables in the data set. Present the planning table with variables and appropriate levels of analysis. The requirements for each question are described below.

Question #1. Is this a good question that can be analyzed using a chi square test? Question #2. Is this a good question that can be analyzed using a correlation? Question #3. Is this a good question that can be analyzed using a t-test? Question #4. Is this a good question that can be analyzed using an ANOVA?

Part II. Submit the Output file based on your research questions and planning table submitted for part I. Your instructor will review and grade your output file and give feedback on your analysis prior to completion of part III.

Question #1. Was the chi square test analyzed appropriately? Question #2. Was the correlation analyzed appropriately? Question #3. Was the t-test analyzed appropriately? Question #4. Was the ANOVA analyzed appropriately?

Part III. Report The report must be organized in the following manner.

1. Sample A. Describe how each of the variables used in the analysis where measured.

Does the student tell me how each of the variables are measured?

B. Conduct appropriate descriptive analyses of the variables in the data set and present the results of your analyses and your interpretation of the data, using both tables and text. Consult the APA manual for instructions concerning the presentation of empirical data in research reports.

Are tables with descriptive statistics included in the paper? Are tables presented appropriately for the level of measurement? Are they in appropriate APA format?

C. Write a brief one paragraph summary of the data presented in the descriptive statistics table. The summary should not simply restate the statistics presented in the table. Instead, the summary should direct the reader to the most important statistics while summarizing the statistics for all variables presented in the table.

Is the one paragraph a good summary of the descriptive statistics? Does the student bring attention to at least one important variable?

D. Discuss the degree to which this sample could be considered representative.Does the student address if their sample can be representative of the greater population?

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E. Discuss how the sample characteristics might impact generalizability.Does the student do a good job at talking about the populations that this study might be generalizable to? Do they talk about populations that might not be as well represented?

2. Bivariate Analysis A. State the research question.

Did the student state a research question?

B. Describe the statistical techniques you used to answer the research question.Did the student tell me what statistical technique they used?

C. Conduct appropriate analyses for each of the three research questions and report the findings in APA format. Present appropriate tables or charts to illustrate the results of your analysis. Consult the APA manual for guidance.

Is the analysis appropriate for each of the three research questions? Are the findings in APA format?

D. Write a brief one-paragraph summary of the meaning of the results. Briefly summarize the meaning of the data in terms of statistical and practical significance. What were the significant differences or relationships? Are they meaningful? Consider the strength and direction of relationships, the amount of variance explained and the meaning of differences.

Did the student include a brief one- paragraph summary of the meaning of the results?

3. Implications Is the ‘real world’ significance of the results of your analyses discussed? Do you explain how these findings can inform further research on the topics that you explored in your analysis? Do you discuss additional relationships that should be examined?

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