INTRODUCTION DATA HANDLING AND ANALYSIS
SPECIFICATION: DATA HANDLING AND ANALYSIS
Quantitative and Qualitative Data: the Distinction Between Qualitative and Quantitative Data Collection Techniques.
Primary and Secondary Data, including Meta-Analysis.
Descriptive Statistics: Measures of Central Tendency – Mean, Median, Mode; Calculation of Mean, Median and Mode; Measures of Dispersion; Range and Standard Deviation; Calculation of Range; Calculation of Percentages; Positive, Negative and Zero Correlations.
Presentation and Display of Quantitative Data: Graphs, Tables, Scattergrams, Bar Charts, Histograms.
Distributions: Normal and Skewed Distributions; Characteristics of normal and skewed distributions.
Analysis and Interpretation of Correlation, including Correlation Coefficients.
Levels of Measurement: Nominal, Ordinal and Interval.
Content Analysis and Coding. Thematic Analysis (see research methods).
INFERENTIAL TESTING
Students should demonstrate knowledge and understanding of inferential testing and be familiar with inferential tests.
Introduction to statistical testing, the sign test, when to use it, and how it is calculated.
Probability and significance: using statistical tables and critical values in interpreting significance; Type I and Type II errors.
Factors affecting the choice of statistical test, including level of measurement and experimental design. When to use the following tests: Spearman’s rho, Pearson’s r, Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, related t-test, unrelated t-test and Chi-Squared test
