In many fields, it is difficult to obtain data for statistical exploration via unbiased sampling methods. Sample sizes may tend to be small, data may tend to be badly skewed, and sampling methods may tend toward convenient out of necessity. Research conducted by telephone survey, forms, educational research in classrooms, and marketing research are some examples. Consider your own major. If you are undecided, pick one of the examples listed in the previous sentence. Then answer the following questions, in 2 or 3 sentences per question.

1. In what way could doing research in your major or one of the majors listed above necessarily it difficult to use a non-biased sampling method?
2. Look up an article in the library databases, or in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) that is in your field (or the field you chose above) and describe the sort of study that was performed. Was the sampling method unbiased? This article should not be too technical to understand.
3. Read the abstract, findings, and limitation sections of the article you picked in number 2 and discuss any statistical terms you recognize and how they are being used in the article.
4. What future study would you recommend based on the findings of the research in your article?

Statistical Thinking

Pick one research article

Pick an article from your disciple, or from educational or marketing research, that is not overly technical and fairly easy to understand. Read the abstract, findings, and limitations sections. Make sure you could describe it to someone else without having to look at it.

Answer the following questions.

1. In general, in what way could doing research in your major (or the field you chose to research)  necessarily make it difficult to use a nonbiased sampling method?
2. Look up an article in the library databases, or in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) https://doaj.org/ that is in your field ( or the field you chose above) and describe the sort of study that was performed. Was the sampling method unbiased? This article should not be too technical to understand.
3. Read the abstract, findings, and limitation sections of the article you picked in number 2 and discuss any statistical terms you recognize and how they are being used in the article.
4. What future study would you recommend based on the findings of the research in your article?

Present the situation and your model to the others in the class

Post a message in the application discussion forum for this unit.  In your post, describe your article and list the answers to the questions. Use the equation editor as necessary to show the related equations and any calculations you used. Provide a link to your article. Describe the terminology you found from the course being used in your article in a way you understood.  The better you communicate, the more points you will earn.  If you enjoy and know how to use multimedia, such as video, audio, and graphics, you may use those as well, but this is not required.

View and respond to the models submitted by your classmates

Pick two of your classmates’ posts that were particularly helpful to you.  Write a response to each, explaining in a paragraph or two why their analyses helped you better understand the concepts and skills in this module or better understand how the mathematics and technology for this module could be used outside of class.

Create a new thread in the Research Limitations forum in the Discussion Board to complete this assignment.

This assignment is required and worth up to 20 points.