OVERVIEW
The purpose of this assignment is for students to:
Critically review data analysis reports in health research literature.
In the past several weeks, you have participated in several discussion forums that asked you to find a research article, briefly summarize it, and report the statistic that we were studying. In addition, you were asked to discuss whether the assumptions of the test were met and if the type of data was appropriate for the statistical test. For this assignment, revisit these discussion forums and provide a more in-depth analysis of the data report section.
The three types of statistics we will focus on include:
Correlations
t tests
Nonparametric tests
Note: We will not be reviewing ANOVA or regression for this assignment.
Course objectives covered in this final project include CO1, CO3, CO4, CO6
FINAL PROJECT GUIDELINES
Write a paper in APA style of 2000 to 3000 words (8 to 10 pages, excluding the title and reference pages) that demonstrates critical analysis of existing health science research. Refer to the level heading layout template in the Course Documents folder at the top section of the course website to address the following content areas.
Section I: A Review of the Data Analysis
In this section, provide a discussion of the following elements for each of the three types of statistics noted above.
Research Problem: Summarize the problem or question(s) this research concerns.
Data Collection and Source: Give a brief overview of how the data were collected. What is the source of the data (e.g., questionnaire, physiological data, existing statistical information)? In some studies, there are two or more sources of data.
Variables: Identify the independent and dependent variables.
Appropriateness of Statistical Analysis Test:
Describe the statistical analysis test used to study the hypotheses.
Name three assumptions met.
Are the level of measurements of the variables appropriate for the test used in each study?
Report Results:
For the correlation article:
Include the correlation coefficients, the strength or weakness of the correlation, and the direction of the correlation.
Briefly discuss how the findings contribute to healthcare.
For the t test and the nonparametric test (chi-squared or other) in your articles:
Include the alpha-level, the p-level, and whether the null was accepted or rejected.
Briefly discuss how the findings contribute to healthcare.
Section II: Understanding the Data
Provide a discussion as to why nurses avoid reading the data analysis section of a research report and why understanding statistics is critical to evaluation of the literature.
WRITING AND RESEARCH RESOURCES
The following links provide online writing and research aids to help you with your paper assignments.
OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue University
Writer’s Handbook, the Writing Center at the University of WisconsinMadison
APA Guidelines
Information Literacy for TESU Students (an online guide from the New Jersey State Library to assist you in starting your research, searching databases for articles, citing sources, using ILLiad to request books or articles, etc.)
