During my last semester of study at Irident, I observed studying one day and then got some observations of another. This could be said as a continuation of the studies that I had in my Intro to Data Analysis assignment.
On one particular day in the field, I observed Dr. Sara Cillack examining her personal computer. Dr. Sara was collecting data on the question of how much time she saves to her laptop with the help of a gimbal or a drone. For More Click itsbiography
Throughout her reflection, she also gave her opinion on the matter of why she saves so much time to her laptop.
If the main reason is because “I am too lazy to spend time searching for something useful”, she answered that she has to spend time searching because “There is so much information on the internet that I can’t get my hands on all of it”.
To which I feel as if the main problem here is the lack of time that must be spent by one to gain more knowledge.
Looking at the issue from a different angle, this incident can serve as a brainstorming exercise for the research that I did in my Intro to Data Analysis assignment.
On the contrary, when looking at the circumstance from Dr. Sara’s perspective, she says that it is frustrating to not have enough time to collect as much data as she needs for better analysis.
Stopping the problem at the hypothesis making. In the Case Study Questionnaire, the researchers in the case study had asked subjects about a wide variety of items, but here, they had asked the students of the class and not only respondents of the class.
However, in my assigned category for practice in data analysis, I interviewed my research assistants! And what conclusions can I draw from my research assistant’s notes when I ask what time they study on a Monday with their laptops?
Although research assistants are instructors, they are not the only possible candidates for this project. I interviewed a test coordinator to see if she thinks she spend much time on analyzing data, which, in her opinion, does not represent how she is during a typical day of a test coordinator. Therefore, I asked her whether she thinks that she has one of the higher test study hours. And the right to make an “emotionally intelligent” argument and indicate that “I am able to complete a full day’s prep work quickly and efficiently”.
Out of the two methods, I interviewed test coordinators, which is statistically better. I used example on another quantitative problem that the research coordinators handled. I decided to reduce my subjects to those test coordinators who studied on their laptops during a period that their courses covered. It became obvious that I may ask the test coordinators to stand in the same point of view and declare that they have the lowest test study hours and that those people only spend time on data collection activities like search for questions on the internet.
It would be the perfect question to say that in my case, I take every day of a test coordinator’s sleep, which may lead to my one of the highest test study hours, based on the background of topics of the exam.
But could her time become cheaper and easier if her own laptop is connected with her test coordinator’s laptops? If she knew how to efficiently save data from them and its analysis, she could also use her own laptop for all tests?
As I started reading my data, I noticed that my overall performance was significantly better than most of my respondents. This made me think about the subjectiveity of my statistical methods and their implications when collecting data.
The purpose of the research for study in data analysis, in my case, is to provide a standardized answer. I cannot possibly claim that I wouldn’t interfere with the veracity of the research to get an answer based on anecdotal evidence that may not be statistically sound.
There are research assistants who could pose this question. And if I have to choose two research assistants for my study, which type of analysis can be done efficiently and makes them both confident?
My research assistants will definitely reveal the answer that I would have desired that they would be willing to revise and verify my findings before they are exposed to the masses.
The scenarios could not have happened otherwise. But as my question showed, I could exercise a bit of the control of the research and apply my own research methodologies for my question and contribute to a unique outcome.