Topic outline

  • General

    • INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS IN RESEARCH Forum
      Introduction to statistics is an essential part of understanding and analyzing data in various fields such as business, economics, social sciences, and healthcare. It is a branch of mathematics that deals with the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. The use of statistics is crucial in decision-making, formulating strategies, and making predictions based on data.

      EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

      By the end of the course students will be able to:
      • Compute descriptive statistics including diagrammatic representation and interpretation
      • Illustrate the concept of probability and probability distributions
      • Carry out testing of hypothesis on a population based on statistical measures of samples
      • Carry out simple linear regression analysis
      • Understand time series analysis and its application to forecasting
      • Conceptualize non-parametric methods useful particularly for nominal or ordinal data

  • WHAT IS STATISTICS?

    The word “statistics” is used in 3 main ways:
    1. Common meaning: factual information involving numbers. A better word for this is data.
    2. Precise meaning: quantities which have been derived from sample data, e.g. the mean (or average) of a data set
    3. Common meaning: an academic subject which involves reasoning about statistical quantities
    4. Definition of statistics: statistics is a subject that provides the tools for data collection, data processing, data analysis and information reporting (data interpretation).

    • Categories of statistics URL

      Theoretical or pure or basic or mathematical statistics: which deals with the development, derivation, testing and proving of statistical theorems, formulae, rules and laws. Theoretical statistics is not our priority in this unit;

      A. Applied statistics: is the branch of statistics that deals with the use of theoretical statistics to solve real-life problems in all other disciplines. Applied statistics may be divided into two branches; descriptive and inferential statistics.

    • Descriptive statistics & Inferential statistics File

      Applied statistics: is the branch of statistics that deals with the use of theoretical statistics to solve real-life problems in all other disciplines. Applied statistics may be  divided into two branches; descriptive and inferential statistics.

       

        

  • ROLES OF STATISTICS IN RESEARCH

    Why is statistics important in research? Statistical methods are essential for scientific research. In fact, statistical methods dominate scientific research as they include planning, designing, collecting data, analyzing, drawing meaningful interpretation and reporting of research findings.

    • ROLES OF STATISTICS IN RESEARCH Assignment

      Statistics are important in everyday life because they help us make informed decisions, understand risks, follow the news, conduct research, and make predictions about the future based on past data.

      In the area of your specialisation, find out the 5 main roles or importance of statistics in research.

    • Why Is Statistics Important in Reseach? Chat

      Statistics provide the information to educate how things work. They're used to conduct research, evaluate outcomes, develop critical thinking, and make informed decisions. From what you have learned from this lesson, discuss and analyse the important role of statistical methods in social science research.

  • VARIABLES AND VARIABLE TYPES

    Variables are fundamental components of any programming language. They are used to store and manipulate data in a computer program, making it possible for the program to perform complex operations. Variables are essentially containers that hold values, which can be changed or modified during the execution of the program. The concept of variables is crucial in computer programming, and understanding the different types of variables and how they work is essential for any programmer.

    • What is Variable? Forum
      The concept of a variable is essential in various fields, including mathematics, physics, engineering, economics, and social sciences, as it allows for the representation and analysis of complex systems and phenomena. Let us explore the definition, types, and uses of variables in different contexts, and discuss their significance in understanding the world around us.

      Types of Variables
      There are two main types of variables used in research statistics: independent and dependent variables. Independent variables are those that are manipulated or controlled by the researcher in an experiment. They are also known as the predictor variables as they are used to predict the outcome of the research. On the other hand, dependent variables are the outcome or result of the research. They are also known as the outcome variables as they are affected by the independent variable.

      Independent variable:       An independent variable is a key factor that the researcher manipulates or changes in a research study. It is the variable that is thought to have a direct effect on the dependent variable, which is the outcome or response variable of
      interest. In other words, an independent variable is the cause, and the dependent variable is the effect. The researcher controls the independent variable to determine its impact on the dependent variable. An example could be studying the impact of both exercise and diet on weight loss. In this case, weight loss would be the dependent variable, while exercise and diet would be the
      independent variables.

      Dependent variable:
      Dependent variables are the outcomes or responses that are being measured in a study. They are called dependent because they are affected or influenced by the independent variables. In other words, the changes in the dependent variable are dependent on the changes in the independent variable. For example, in a study examining the effect of a new medication on blood pressure, the level of blood pressure is the dependent variable, and the medication is the independent variable.
      The dependent variable is the result of the manipulation of the independent variable. are manipulated or controlled by the researcher, while dependent variables are the outcomes or effects of the independent variables. Control variables are held constant to ensure that they do not influence the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

      Control Variable:
      Control variables, also known as covariates or extraneous variables, are factors that are not of interest to the researcher but can influence the outcome of the study. They are variables that may have an impact on the dependent variable but are not the main focus of the research. In other words, control variables are variables that the researcher wants to keep constant to isolate the effects of the independent variable on the dependent variable.

      Other Types of Variable
      Apart from these, there are also other types of variables that are used in research statistics, such as continuous, discrete, categorical, and ordinal variables.  Categorical variables are those that represent categories or groups, and they cannot be
      expressed in numerical form. Examples of categorical variables include gender, occupation, marital status, race, or education level. etc.
       Continuous variables are those that can take on any value within a given range, such as age, weight or temperature.
       Discrete variables are those that can only take on specific values, Examples of discrete variables include a number of siblings a person has, the number of cars in a parking lot, etc.
       Dichotomous variables are variables that have only two possible values, such as yes or no.
       Ordinal variables are similar to categorical variables, but they have a specific order or ranking. For example, educational level (high school, college, graduate) is an ordinal variable as there is a specific order to the categories.
       Nominal – categories that do not have a natural order, e.g. gender, eye colour, types of building Role of Variables in Research
       Variables play a crucial role in research as they help to define, organize and analyze data.
       They are the building blocks of research studies and are used to answer research questions and test hypotheses.
       By manipulating and controlling variables, researchers can investigate the relationship between different variables and make conclusions about cause and effect.
       Variables also allow researchers to compare and contrast different groups, analyze trends and patterns, and make predictions about future

  • DATA PROCESSING

    After data collection, data has to be processed or prepared for analysis. Data processing therefore deals with data editing, data categorization/coding, data entry and data presentation. These Are explained in details here after;

     
    Data editing: is also called data cleaning and it deals with checking for errors and Omissions in a data set. During data collection, respondents can make errors. Data editing or cleaning therefore refers to the process of Identifying and Eliminating errors from a given data set. There are many kinds of errors which a data editor should check for, e.g.

    A) Incompleteness- omission or none response. The editor should check whether all questions are answered, and find whether the unanswered questions (if any) are just inapplicable to a given respondent or simply missed (non-response). If possible, the editor may estimate the answers to the unanswered questions. Normally, if an instrument is not answered 75%, 𝑖𝑡 should be eliminated from further analysis.

    B) Inconsistencies- The editor should check whether answers to all questions are in agreement, e.g., if one gives age as below 20, but has 10 children. Not logical.

    C) Non-Uniformities in Recording Answers: Here the editor should check whether all answers to a given question are recorded as required.

    D) Eligibilities. The editor should also check whether all answers are readable. So, the editor may contact friends to help understand poor hand writing or contact the respondents for clarification.

    • DATA PRESENTATION

    • Topic 6

      • Topic 7