8. Analysis of data:
After
the data have been collected, the researcher turns to the task of analyzing
them. The analysis of data requires a number of closely related operations such
as establishment of categories, the application of these categories to raw data
through coding, tabulation and then drawing statistical inferences.
The
unwieldy data should necessarily be condensed into a few manageable groups and
tables for further analysis. Thus, researcher should classify the raw data into
some purposeful and usable categories.
Coding
operation is usually done at this stage through which the categories of
data are transformed into symbols that may be tabulated and counted.
Editing
is the procedure that improves the quality of the data for coding. With
coding the stage is ready for tabulation.
Tabulation
is a part of the technical procedure wherein the classified data are
put in the form of tables. The mechanical devices can be made use of at this
juncture.
A
great deal of data, especially in large inquiries, is tabulated by computers.
Computers not only save time but also make it possible to study large number of
variables affecting a problem simultaneously. Analysis work after tabulation is
generally based on the computation of various percentages, coefficients, etc.,
by applying various well defined statistical formulae.
In
the process of analysis, relationships or differences supporting or conflicting
with original or new hypotheses should be subjected to tests of significance to
determine with what validity data can be said to indicate any conclusion(s).
For
instance, if there are two samples of weekly wages, each sample being drawn
from factories in different parts of the same city, giving two different mean
values, then our problem may be whether the two mean values are significantly
different or the difference is just a matter of chance.
Through the use of statistical tests we can establish whether such a difference
is a real one or is the result of random fluctuations. If the difference
happens to be real, the inference will be that the two samples come from
different universes and if the difference is due to chance, the conclusion
would be that the two samples belong to the same universe.
Similarly, the technique of analysis of variance can help us in analyzing
whether three or more varieties of seeds grown on certain fields yield
PHARMAQUEST
significantly different results or not. In brief, the
researcher can analyze the collected data with the help of various statistical
measures.
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