Methods of Research - Managing Data and Defining Variabled

1. Managing Data and
Defining Variables
Chrisnilu D. SanlaoChrisnilu D. Sanlao
Reporter
Methods fo Research

2. Importance Step that’s sit
between raw quantitative Data
• Managed to collect
• Ability to take on statistical
analysis

3. Data Management
The challenge is employing a rigorous and
systematic approach to data management
that will allow you to build or create a data
set that can me managed and utilized
throughout the process of analysis.
Methods fo Research

4. Five Step are essentials on
managing data
Methods fo Research

5. Step 1 Familiarize Yourself
Involve accessing programs andInvolve accessing programs and
arranging necessary training.arranging necessary training.
1.IBM SPSS Statistics – (www.spss.com)
2.SAS – (www.sas.com)
3.Minitab – (minitab.com)
4.Excel – (Microsoft Office Product)
5.R – (www.rproject.org)

6. IBM SPSS – sophisticated and
user – friendly

7. SAS - often an institutional
standard, but some feel it I not as
user friendly

8. Minitab - more introductory,
good for leas and small data sets

9. Excel – while not a dedicated
statistics program, it can handle
the basic and is readily available
on most PCs

10. R – free software
environment for statistical
computing and graphics

11. Step 2: Keep a Record of your Data
Keep in mind that original data
should be kept for a reasonable
period of time; researchers need to
be able to trace result back to
original sources

12. Step 3: Screen Your Data for any
Potential
This includes a preliminary check
to see if your data is legible and
complete. If done early, you can uncover
potential problems not picked up in your
pilot, and make improvement to your
data collection protocols.

13. Step 4: Enter the Data
First is to define your variables
Two steps involved in data entry
Second step is to systematicallySecond step is to systematically
enter your data into a database.enter your data into a database.

14. Step 5: Clean the Data
This involve combing through the data
to make sure any entry error are found, and
that the data set looks in order.
When entering quantified data it is easy to
make mistakes – particularly if you’re moving fast. It is
essential that you go through you data to make sure it
is as accurate as possible.

15. Understanding Variable
cause and effect

16. Dependent variables – the
things you are trying to study or what
you are trying to measure.
example, you might be interested
in knowledge what factors cause
chronic head-aches, a strong income
stream, or level of achievement in
secondary school, head – aches,
income and achievement would all be
dependent variables.

17. Independent variables - the
things that might be causing an
effect on the things you are trying
to understand.
For example, reading might cause
headaches: gender may have a role in
determining income; parental influence may
impact on level of achievement. The
independent variables here are reading,
gender, and parental influence.

18. Understanding Variables
Measurement Scales

19. NominalNominal
• Numbers are arbitrarily assigned to
represent categories and are a coding
scheme that are no numerical significance
• “Nominal” scales could simply be called
“labels.” The main function of nominal data
is to allow researchers to tall responses in
order to understand population distribution.

20. Example of NominalExample of Nominal

21. OrdinalOrdinal
• This scale rank – order categories in
some meaningful way: There is an
order to the coding.
• With ordinal scales, it is the order of the
values is what’s important and
significant, but the differences between
each one is not really known.

23. IntervalInterval
Interval scales are
numeric scales in which we
know not only the order, but
also the exact differences
between the values. This scale
does not have an absolute
zero.

24. RatioRatio
Not only is each point
on a ratio scale equidistant
but there is also an absolute
zero.
Ratio scales are theRatio scales are the
ultimate nirvana when it comes toultimate nirvana when it comes to
measurement scales because theymeasurement scales because they
tell us about the order, they tell us thetell us about the order, they tell us the
exact value between units, AND theyexact value between units, AND they
also have an absolute zero–whichalso have an absolute zero–which
allows for a wide range of bothallows for a wide range of both
descriptive and inferential statisticsdescriptive and inferential statistics toto
be applied.be applied.

26. 1. State 3 example of dependent
and independent variables.
Chrisnilu D. Sanlao
Reporter
ACTIVITYACTIVITY
2. State one example of each measurement scale
(Nominal, Ordinal, Interval and Ratio)

27. Thank You
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