1. Are You a Data Detective?

2. is about what data to collect and who to collect it from and why it’s
The
problem section
is about what data to collect
and who to collect it from
and why it’s
important

3. Problem Formulate and define a statistical question
It tells you what to investigate and how to investigate it.
You can start with ‘I wonder if …
Think:
how do we go about answering this question?
what do we need to know?
how will we find the information that we need?
what will we do with the information that we collect?
who will find this information useful?
is this information relevant to the problem?

4. The
planning section
is about how you
will gather the
data.

5. Plan Make predictions and then to test them.
Reflect on the difference between your prediction and the result.
The first question to ask is:
How would you answer the question now, before you gather the data? Remember to justify your answer.
Further questions:
how will I gather this data?
what data will I gather?
what measurement system will I use?
how am I going to record this information?

6. The
data section
is concerned with
how the data is
managed and
organised.

7. Data
You may record your data in any format as long as it is clear and easily manipulated.
A table is usually the best format.

8. The
analysis section
is about exploring
the data and
reasoning
with it.

9. Analysis
Look at the data table, notice features like largest or smallest measurements and modes.
This will help you to select the correct scales for your graphs.
Summarise your analysis using two sentence starters:
I noticed that …
I wondered if …

10. is about answering the question
conclusion section
is about answering the question
in the problem section
and providing reasons
based on your
analysis

11. Conclusion Conclusions should relate back to your original question.
Mention any features you noticed or wondered about and investigated.
Give reasons based on what you have found out in your investigation.
Use some statistical language in your conclusion.

12. Conclusion cont. Here are some phrases that might be useful:
For histograms: normal/skewed distribution, middle range
For scatterplots: outlier, slope of the graph, trend
For all analyses: these data suggest, probably, most, spread, shape, relative proportions, ratios, middle range.
Think about who would be interested in your conclusions and why?