Research methods:Data Analysis

Question 1

How to calculate Mean

Answer 1

Add all numbers together and divide by number of data you have

Question 2

Strengths of mean

Answer 2

Makes use of all data

Question 3

Weakness of mean

Answer 3

Affected by extreme scores

Question 4

Median how to calculate

Answer 4

Put numbers in order, then find the middle number

Question 5

Median strengths

Answer 5

Can be used on ranked data, unaffected by extremes

Question 6

Median weakness

Answer 6

Does not work well on small data sets

Not as powerful as the mean, as it does not take into account all values

Question 7

Mode when it’s used

Answer 7

Finding the most frequently occurring value in data set

Question 8

Mode strength

Answer 8

Unaffected by extremes as were just looking at most common value
Can be used in basic data forming nominal catergories

Question 9

Mode weaknesses

Answer 9

Small changes can make a big difference

There can be more than one mode

Question 10

Range how to measure

Answer 10

Difference between highest and lowest scores

Question 11

Range strength

Answer 11

Quick to calculate

Gives us basic measure of how much data varies

Question 12

Range weakness

Answer 12

Tells us nothing about data In The middle of scores

Affected by outlying values

Question 13

Standard deviation what does it show

Answer 13

It tells u how much on average things vary from the mean of the data. Large SD means large spread of data.

Question 14

Interquartile range what does it show

Answer 14

Measures spread of the middle 50% of scores

Question 15

SD strength

Answer 15

Allows us to make statements about probability

Most powerful measure of dispersion

Question 16

SD weakness

Answer 16

Data can’t be ranked or from categories

Data must be in a normal distribution curve as SD Is affected by skewed data

Question 17

Interquartile range strength

Answer 17

Avoids extreme scores lying in top and bottom 25%

Question 18

Interquartile range weakness

Answer 18

Still uses only half of the available data

Question 19

How to calculate percentage increase

Answer 19

Difference in two values over original times 100

Question 20

Opportunity sample

Answer 20

P’s Selected cuz they were easily available

Question 21

Volunteer

Answer 21

Selected on a basis of their own actions in arriving at sampling point

Question 22

Random sample

Answer 22

Every member of target population has an equal chance of being included. Computer random generator

Question 23

Stratified sample

Answer 23

Specific groups like different age groups appear in numbers proportional to their size in target Pop. Within each subgroup, random sampling is used to select members

Question 24

Systemic sample

Answer 24

Random sampling with a system.

List of names and number them, choose starting point and pick every nth member.

Question 25

Random sampling strengths+weak

Answer 25

little risk of sampling bias.equal chance of selection.

requires comprehensive list of all members of target pop

Question 26

systematic sampling good and bad

Answer 26

equal chance of selection. requires comprehensive list of all members of target pop

Question 27

opportunity sampling good and bad

Answer 27

easiest to do. but less representative. risk of sample bias as researcher can choose.

Question 28

volunteer sampling good and bad

Answer 28

not time consuming. but subject to volunteer bias - highly motivated people. only people who have seen the advert will come, so their ps may be one-sided.

Question 29

stratified sampling good and bad

Answer 29

Time consuming, subject to bias as researcher chooses the categories of interest. but best representation of subgroups!

Question 30

General pop definition

Answer 30

the whole population

Question 31

Target population definition

Answer 31

group of people who are relevant for the study

Question 32

sample definition

Answer 32

a subset of the group that is tested, should be representative of the target pop.