Checklist - Interpreting evidence

[Bell: Doing your research project (p195)]

1. Data must be recorded analysed and interpreted.

2. Look for similarities, groupings and items of particular significance.
Identify categories.

3. First-thought categories will be a start in the process of collating findings.

4. Prepard summary sheets.
Enter responses as returns are received.

5. Experiment with different ways of presenting findings.
Table? Bar chart? Histogram? Other diagrams or graphs?

6. If you need to discover the average of certain values, decide whether the mean, median or mode is the most suitable?
Each of these measures of central tendency has different uses.

7. Used on their own, means and medians may not be sufficiently descriptive to provide a complete picture of the data.
A measure of dispersion may be required.

8. All data require interpretation.
It is not enough only to describe.

9. Try out different methods of presentation for responses to different question types.
Select which best illustrates the point you are making.

10. Do not attempt complex statistical techniques unless you have the expertise to cope.
It is perfectly acceptable to produce a worthwhile investigation without an in-depth knowledge of statistics.