WRITING ASSIGNMENT:

Select data from the Social Science Data Archive to develop a table and two other visualizations including a full analysis/results. Then, in a two- to three-page analysis report, describe at least one variable in the dataset statistically using Microsoft Excel or other similar spreadsheet program. Follow APA format and Include the following in your report:

1. Descriptive statistics-Present the mean, median, and standard deviation.
2. Table-Summarize the data.
3. One chart (line, bar, etc.)-Display the data.
4. Description-Explain what the statistics mean.
5. Appendix-Include a copy of the variable/data being reviewed. [MO4.4]

For assistance with Excel, please visit the following: Excel (Descriptive statistics) and Excel (Graphs) at Princeton University's Data & Statistical Services.

WRITING RESOURCES
The following links provide online writing 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 Wisconsin-Madison
•APA Guidelines
•IN OWN WORDSANALYZE THIS! INTERPRETIVE DATA ANALYSIS

Module Tables, Deviation Analysis, and Distribution Analysis

OVERVIEW
Basic statistics are at the heart of all data visualizations. This module covers basic descriptive statistics and data organization including measures of central tendency and variability (mean, median, mode, standard deviation, interquartile range, and range). Basic data summaries are also presented including tables and charts to display descriptive statistics and the underlying distributions from which they are based.

TOPICS
Module covers the following topics:

•Descriptive statistics
•Central tendency
•Variability
•Tables and visualizations of distributions

OBJECTIVES

After successfully completing Module, you should be able to:

1. Describe descriptive statistics.

2. Compare the measures of central tendency.

3. Differentiate the measures of variability.

4. Illustrate the pattern of distributions.

Course objectives covered in this module include

Videos

•Watch the video, Descriptive Statistics, from Online Statistics Education: An Interactive Multimedia Course of Study.
•Watch the video, Measures of Central Tendency, from Online Statistics Education: An Interactive Multimedia Course of Study.
•Watch the video, Variability, from Online Statistics Education: An Interactive Multimedia Course of Study.
•Watch the video, Distributions, from Online Statistics Education: An Interactive Multimedia Course of Study.
•Watch the TED Talk, The Best Stats You've Ever Seen.
•Watch the YouTube video, Hans Rosling's 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes, on data visualization.

Watch Hans Rosling's presentation on data including the data visualization video. Then, go to Gapminder, select the Gapminder World button, and then select Open Graph Menu. Choose a graph that interests you from the topics listed and discuss the following questions:

•Why did you choose that topic on Gapminder?
•What statistics were used?
•How do they relate to measures of central tendency, variability, and distributions/outliers?
•Which part of the visualization interested you and why?

Make sure to include the URL of the graph in the discussion forum post by selecting Share Graph on the Gapminder site.