Interpretation of Survey Results

Develop a 5–7-page written analysis integrating your findings from Assessments 1–4.

Suggested Resources

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Course Library Guide

A Capella University library guide has been created specifically for your use in this course. You are encouraged to refer to the resources in the MAT-FP2001 – Statistical Reasoning Library Guide to help direct your research.

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Bookstore Resources

The resource listed below is relevant to the topics and assessments in this course and is not required. Unless noted otherwise, this resource is available for purchase from the Capella University Bookstore. When searching the bookstore, be sure to look for the Course ID with the specific –FP (FlexPath) course designation.

• Bennett, J. O., Briggs, W. L., & Triola, M. F. (2014). Statistical reasoning for everyday life (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Assessment Instructions

Resources

• Interpretation of Survey Results Scoring Guide. 

For this assessment, develop a written analysis integrating your findings from the previous components in Assessments 1–4. Write your paper from the viewpoint that you are presenting the information to an audience that is interested in your results. Include graphical representations as well as explanation of descriptive and inferential measures, relating these components to the context of your survey. Only make claims that the data you collected can support.

The goal of your analysis and interpretation is to take the data that was collected and turn it into useful and usable information. Look for lessons that you learned from your data collection and results. What did you learn about the participants? What surprised you? Did you expect any of the results? Are there issues that arose that you did not understand? These may require further, more in-depth research. Discuss any limitations of the study.

In your paper:

• Interpret and communicate your results to your target audience.
• Include a brief summary of your population, sampling techniques, and survey.
• Communicate results, interpretation, and analysis of all assessments, including graphs (circle, bar, histogram), measures of central tendency, measures of variation, confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests.

The focus should be on interpretation and analysis, rather than a summary of results. Every survey question should be addressed in your interpretation. You will not be able to comment on every little finding, so you will have to make some judgments about what might be the most interesting or revealing results.

Formatting Instructions

Submit a 5–7 page, double-spaced paper that includes the following sections:

1. Title Page.
2. Brief Overview of Survey. Briefly describe the overall goal of study, population, sampling techniques, and survey.
3. Findings and Results. Summarize the results of the survey.
4. Analysis of Results. Interpret and analyze survey results.
   • What did you learn from your survey?
   • What conclusions could you reach based on the survey results?
   • What surprised you?
   • Did you expect any of the results?
   • Are there issues that arose that you did not understand?
   • What was the significance of the study related to the issue in your personal or professional life that you wanted to examine?
5. Limitations and Constraints of the Study.
6. Recommendations for Future Study. What further study would help you examine the issue of interest in this study?

Interpretation of Survey Results Scoring Guide

CRITERIA NON-PERFORMANCE BASIC PROFICIENT DISTINGUISHED Interpret statistical analysis of data to explain the meaning of the survey results.Does not report statistical analysis of data. Reports statistical analysis of data, but does not interpret the meaning of those findings. Interprets statistical analysis of data to explain the meaning of the survey results. Interprets statistical analysis of data to explain the meaning of the survey results, and describes the rationale for those interpretations. Derive logical conclusions for inferential statistical calculations. Does not derive conclusions for inferential statistical calculations. Derives conclusions for inferential statistical calculations, but it is unclear if the conclusions are logical. Derives logical conclusions for inferential statistical calculations. Derives logical conclusions for inferential statistical calculations, and justifies those conclusions. Evaluate constraints or limitations of conclusions based on survey results. Does not list constraints or limitations of conclusions based on survey results. Lists but does not evaluate constraints or limitations of conclusions based on survey results. Evaluates constraints or limitations of conclusions based on survey results. Evaluates constraints or limitations of conclusions based on survey results, and explains how changes in study design might have strengthened the statistical arguments supporting those conclusions. Explain the significance of survey results to research goals addressing an issue in one's personal or professional life.Does not identify a relationship of survey results to research goals. Identifies a relationship of survey results to research goals, but does not explain their significance to address an issue in one's personal or professional life. Explains the significance of survey results to research goals addressing an issue in one's personal or professional life. Explains the significance of survey results to research goals addressing issues in one's personal or professional life, and proposes additions or changes to the study that would help increase the value of the results. Recommend future study to further examine an issue in one's personal or professional life. Does not recommend future study. Recommends future study but does not explain its usefulness for further examination of an issue in one's personal or professional life. Recommends future study to further examine an issue in one's personal or professional life. Recommends future study to further examine an issue in one's personal or professional life, and provides a rationale for why this is appropriate.