Designig investigations

Question 1

What is a hypothesis

Answer 1

A precise statement about something you can measure that can be tested by collecting and analysing data. It may or may not be true

Question 2

A hypothesis must be

Answer 2

-Specific (cannot be misinterpreted)
-Measurable (can be analysed during a specific time like 1 week or 2 months)

Question 3

What are the considerations that need to be considered when designing an investigation

Answer 3

-Time and cost (to set up and carry out investigation)
-Ethical issues (you must respect peoples dignity and rights)
-Confidentiality (it is important to keep data secure and confidential)
-Convenience (of getting data locally)
-Identifying the population (and method to collect sample data)
-Non-response (planning to gain more responses than you think you need)
-Pilot survey (to help work out likely responses to sensitive questions)
-Anomalous results (planning what to do with them)

Question 4

How do you plan for non-response

Answer 4

-Decide on the number of responses you need to do a valid analysis of data
-Do a pilot survey to work out the proportion of surveys which are likely to be returned
-Use this proportion to work out how many surveys to send

Question 5

Calculating the number of surveys

Answer 5

Use the proportion of responses received from the pilot study to work out the amount you want for your actual survey