Homework problems will be assigned most weeks and will be due at the beginning of the next class session. It is extremely important that you work the homework problems to obtain the necessary experience and understanding of the course material. The assignments will be collected in order to determine the progress that each student is making, but the papers will not be graded. Please keep a duplicate copy of each assignment since the homework papers will not be returned. Solutions to the homework will be distributed and/or posted on the due date for each assignment.

You are encouraged to work in small groups or teams on the assignments in order to enhance your own understanding and learning as well as that of your classmates. Help sessions will be held most weeks to discuss difficulties with problems. These sessions will be held in room BU 425 at a mutually convenient time.

Purpose

The project will involve you in actually setting up a SAS or SPSS program to analyze real data using regression or ANOVA, the two main techniques we will be covering this fall. It is important to complete a "hands on" project, since merely reading about techniques or doing some homework problems will not prepare you for the realities of structuring a complete analysis.


Data Set

The data can come from virtually any source and pertain to any topic you wish. It should not be taken from a textbook or journal article which has already analyzed the data in the way that you propose. While it is possible to collect primary data for this assignment, I do not recommend doing so. The main objective is to get you to analyze data, not collect it or design an entire study.

In selecting a data set, make sure that it is sufficiently "rich" to warrant spending some time with it. The data you select should be amenable to analysis using regression or ANOVA (or both). This means that there should be one or more clearly identifiable dependent as well as independent variables. There should be enough observations and variables measured to allow an interesting analysis. The data should also be sufficiently complex to allow you to try out some of the more advanced methods we will discuss this semester. Choosing a data set will require some judgment on your part; I will be glad to discuss any ideas you have. The written proposal and review meetings will help with this. I reserve the right to "veto" (or at least strongly discourage) a project if I think it is too ambitious, too ambiguous, or too trivial.

Written Report

The finished paper should be no more than ten pages in length (not including computer printout or other appendices). The paper should be neatly word processed and should contain appropriate charts and tables. There is no need to aim for ten pages; that is merely the upper limit. However, it your written report ends up being only four or five pages, you probably have not included enough detail or the analysis is too simple.

Your report should not include a major review of the literature or theory development section. Instead, organize your report into these major sections:

• Introduction and purpose
• Description of the data set
• Research questions and hypotheses
• Plan of analysis
• Results
• Interpretation of results and discussion

(Note: You may alter the above outline to meet the specific needs of your project.)

It is very important that you use graphical methods presentation for your results. (We will be discussing and using various graphical methods.) I would like each person to make a brief (15-20 minutes) presentation to the class of his or her findings for the project. You may use Powerpoint, handouts, or other aids for the presentation. It will be a major challenge to summarize your work in only ten minutes, so plan to spend some time preparing the presentation.

Grading Criteria

The projects will be graded using the following criteria:

• Appropriateness and overall quality of the analysis
• Clarity and completeness of written report (including editing)
• Appropriateness of the analysis technique to the data and problem addressed
• Quality of the class presentation
  

Two exams will be given, a mid-term and a final. Both will be in-class and open book and open note, but collaboration with other students and faculty is not permitted.