In this project you’ll work as part of a group of 2-3 students to formulate and answer a research question of your choosing using statistical methods. This requires you apply your knowledge of study design, data collection and organization, data summary and visualization, statistical inference, and communicating statistical results to a general audience. I strongly encourage each group to choose a topic they are passionate about.
The project will include several checkpoints throughout the semester before culminating in a 10-minute presentation and a short (3 page) research paper. The ability to succinctly, but clearly, communicate a large volume of information is an important skill in the field of statistics, and is a major aspect of this project.
Upon successfully completing this assignment, you will be able to:
Groups
Each team will consist of 2-3 students from the class, you are free to choose your teammates. Anyone who does not contact me about their group prior to the deadline will be randomly assigned to a group.
Research Proposal
Your research proposal should include:
You should write 1-3 setences addressing each of these requirements using proper statistical terminology and a professional tone. You may consider myself (the instructor) as the audience to proposal, so feel free to use statistical jargon. Your answers can come in the format of a numbered list or as a coherent paragraph.
If you are struggling to come up with a topic, or you are concerned with the feasibility or appropriateness of your topic, I strongly encourage you to contact me. I am happy to help your group find something that is both interesting and appropriate in scope.
Data and Data Dictionary
Your group will turn-in a cleaned copy of your data set and descriptions of each variable. This file can be a csv, excel spreadsheet, or minitab dataset. It should contain clearly named variables, and you should provide short descriptions of each provided in a separate attachment. When turning in your data and dictionary, you are also expected to describe where the data came from in the body of your email (if it is not immediately clear from your project proposal).
Meetings
Groups will sign-up for a private meeting to take place in lieu class on Fri 5/1 and Mon 5/4. Time slots will be open during class hours on those days, as well as a few other times.
Preliminary Results
The purpose of this portion of the assignment is to make our meeting productive. I expect your group, at minimum, to submit a brief outline describing your presentation plans. After your group meeting I won’t look at your outline or preliminary results again, they are simply a starting point for our meeting.
Final Presentation
Presentations will be 10 minutes and delivered during class a week after your group’s private meeting. Your presentation should clearly outline your research question, how your data was collected, the patterns you found in your data, statistical inference, and practical conclusions. See the resources section below for more information on giving a scientific presentation. Also note that you will be expected to peer review the presentations given by other groups, this will be done completely in class.
Final Paper
Final papers should be no more than three (3) pages in length, including figures and tables, but not including an optional abstract or references. The paper should contain the following components: a title, a background section, a methods section, a results section, a discussion section, and references. If you are unsure of how to structure these sections, please visit the links in the Resources section below for guidelines and examples. Recognize that staying under this three-page restriction will take a fair bit of planning, it also means that everything you include in your paper should be important.
The Data Analysis and Social Inquiry Lab (DASIL) is an excellent campus resource that can help you acquire and prepare data that might otherwise require tools beyond the scope of this course. Click here for details
The Undergraduate Class Project Competition (USCLAP) is a competition for introductory undergraduate statistics students. The requirements of the competition are very close to those of this assignment’s final paper. This is an excellent resume builder and several Grinnell students have won or placed in the past. You are encouraged (but not required) to enter this competition. As an instructor I am willing to help guide revisions of your paper (after you turn it in) in order to facillitate your submission to USCLAP.