Quantitative Data Analysis Report Summative Assessment 1 Brief 2024-25 | Glasgow Caledonian University

Summative Assessment Method: 

The PG Research Methods module initially discusses and critiques theoretical and practical elements of undertaking research. Each week, you will have discussed and considered the relevance of different approaches and methods of research to your own area of interest. This first assessment invites you to evidence your understanding of the role of quantitative data to your own research. Therefore, the final summative assessment allows you to evidence your ability to reflect if and how quantitative data could be applied to your own academic area.

Specifically, your final Assessment 1 should: 

1. Evidence your understanding of the quantitative data and analysis techniques distributed during the lab-tutorials. Relevant issues will be discussed during the labs and seminars. 

• This allows you to evidence your understanding of research design and quantitative data.

2. Identify a research question/aim within your own area of interest. It is expected that this will normally be the topic you intend to research within the Masters Research Project. 

3. Evaluate and reflect how the distributed quantitative data and analysis techniques could or could not apply to your own research question/aim. 

• This includes a critique of why it would add depth to your work or, alternatively, why the quantitative data would not be applicable. 

4. Draw conclusions from your evaluation, critical discussion and reflection about your own proposed research design, tool(s) and analysis technique(s).

Structure of the PG Research Methods Report: 

Quantitative Assessment Research Title (not included in word count).

• Please provide a title that summarises what your research is about, using relevant research terms. Do not use the title “Report of a Quantitative Study” – use a specific title for your work which would normally include the key research terms, academic area and sample (where applicable).

• The Research Title does not count for the overall assessment word count. 

Brief Rationale of your own Research Area (150 words worth 10% of marks).

• A short, concise account of the background to and rationale for your research question/aim, drawing on relevant literature to show why your study is important and how it relates to existing research in the field. 

• This section should be referenced to previous studies in your chosen research area. 

Statement of your Own Research Question/Aim (50 words).

• Your own intended research question(s) or research aim. This should be drawn from your own area of interest. 

Identification and critical discussion of the meaning of the quantitative data presented (500 words worth 35% of marks). 

• Identify, in your own words, what you understand the statistics to mean in research terms. 

• A critical discussion of the meaning of the quantitative data presented which evidences your understanding of the meaning of the statistics, their common usage and their limitations (10% mark).  

• This section must have specific reference to the quantitative data-sets provided in questions 1 & 2 below, (you may want to include some statistical output generated using SPSS such as: Tables/Graphs/ Figures etc.) to ensure clarity of your discussion. It should also be referenced to relevant readings (please see your indicative module reading list on GCULearn).

2. Data Set One: fitnesscentre.sav. The data set contains survey information taken from 80 users of a new fitness centre. The company executives are interested in finding out more about their clients’ use of the gym facilities, for future investment. 

The first data set contains four variables:

1. Reason

2. LastCardioTime

3. Cardiofreq; and

4. LastWeightTime

Perform some initial analysis on these variables (Bar/Pie/Histogram etc.), produce some relevant summary statistics (mean/mode/median/standard dev.), and write a few short paragraphs on your findings. Include any relevant figures or graphs (leave the other relevant output in the Appendix section). 

15% marks for the correct statistics generated and correct explanation of the output.

2. Data Set Two: ExamAnxiety.sav. A researcher wanted to determine whether a student’s level of anxiety affected their exam performance.  

1. Exam Performance; and

2. Exam Anxiet

Describe a suitable research hypothesis and statistical hypothesis for this question. Analyse the potential relationship between these variables and write a short report on your findings. Include any relevant statistics. Your analysis should be conducted at the 5% level of significance. 

10% marks for the correct statistics generated and correct explanation of the output.

Evaluation and reflection of the relevance of quantitative data and analysis and their applicability to your own research topic (650 words worth 40% marks).

• An in-depth critique and evaluation of how quantitative data could, or alternatively why it could not, be applied to your own research area. This must include a relevant and evidenced discussion of both positive and negatives elements. 

• Relevant literature must be referenced to justify points made throughout your work – so reference throughout. Use the references offered by the relevant practitioner to guide your further reading. It is also expected that you would draw on work from relevant research methods journal articles.