case study for Applied Statistics class

How many people in the US consider themselves transgender?

      In two pages or less design a research study to determine the answer to this question. Take into account both the chapters and class discussion. In particular, you will need to address practical issues such as getting accurate results along with ethical considerations such as privacy rights. Your response will be graded in comparison to other responses considering practicality, probable accuracy of the results, handling of ethical concerns and creativity.

Note: Comparative rarity and privacy rights are the major complicating issues in this study.

Suggestions on Case

First: DO NOT COLLECT ANY DATA. You are to design the study, not do it.

The place to start is to decide if you want to use a sample or try to get information from all of the people in the US. Note that getting info from all of the people would be practically impossible. 

        If you decide to work with a sample, the next thing to work on is what kind of sample you want. Do you want to work with people individually, collect data from public officials, civic organizations, or what? How you go about getting your sample depends on the answer to this question. The basic idea from here is to find a way to get a sample. Note that making the sample large enough and representative of the population is a major issue.

     Next, decide exactly what data you want to collect and how to collect it.

    Another consideration is this: how you will safeguard people's rights not to have their names and personal information published.