Page 107 - DLIS401_METHODOLOGY_OF_RESEARCH_AND_STATISTICAL_TECHNIQUES

Methodology of Research and Statistical Techniques

Notes phase to push certain conclusions or agendas. For this reason, it is important to pay attention
when data analysis is presented, and to think critically about the data and the conclusions
which were drawn.
Charts, graphs, and textual writeups of data are all forms of data analysis. These methods are
designed to refine and distill the data so that readers can glean interesting information without
needing to sort through all of the data on their own. Summarizing data is often critical to
supporting arguments made with that data, as is presenting the data in a clear and understandable
way. The raw data may also be included in the form of an appendix so that people can look
up specifics for themselves.

7.1 Data Analysis

In general, most evaluations conducted by local programs would lend themselves to
descriptive analysis of data. Descriptive analysis is a way of summarizing and aggregating
results from groups. If an evaluation has been conducted which employs a control group,
or measures changes in program participants over time, then it might be appropriate to
employ inferential analysis in which a decision is made about whether the particular
results of the study are “real”. More emphasis will be placed on descriptive analysis in
this fact sheet.

7.1.1 Verbal Description of Data
Many reports rely on narrative information to present most, if not all, of the necessary information.
Narrative information may be presented in three ways: standard writing style; tables; and/or,
figures, diagrams, maps, and charts.

Standard writing style, that is, the use of sentences and paragraphs, is often the best way to
present information, especially to audiences that are not accustomed to working with charts,
graphs, tables, numbers, etc. It is the only way to present information such as examples and
explanations. If standard writing style is used to summarize the results of open ended questions
(“What do you like most about the program?”), it is often useful to give some indication of
how often a particular response was given.

Tables represent narrative or numerical information in tabular fashion. A table arranges information
in rows or columns, so that data elements may be referred to easily. They provide a clear and
succinct way to present data, and are often more simple and understandable than standard
writing style. They also facilitate the interpretation of data.
Figures, diagrams, maps and charts present verbal information visually. They often describe
information more clearly than several paragraphs of description. Common forms of figures are
flow charts; organization charts; GANT charts; and/or maps.
• Flow charts are particularly useful for presenting relationships and/or describing the
sequence of events and the location and result of decisions.
• Organization charts are useful for presenting the chain of responsibility in a program.
• GANT charts list a set of tasks. They indicate the time each task is to be performed and
by whom.
• Maps visually describe certain geographical areas. They are useful in describing different
conditions for individual geographical areas.

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