What is the Statistical Investigative Process?

Hey guys! Today, I want to talk to you about the different phases of a statistical investigation. You might be wondering what that even means. Well, imagine you’re a detective trying to solve a mystery. In the same way, statisticians use a structured process to solve problems with data. Let’s break it down into 4 phases.

Phase 1: Pose a question 🤔

The first phase is to pose a question. What is it that you want to know? The question should be clear and specific. It could be something like, “What is the average income of people living in this area?” or “Does eating breakfast improve academic performance?”

Phase 2: Collect data 📊

Once you have a question, the next step is to collect data. This involves choosing a sample size and collecting information through various methods like surveys, experiments, or observations. The data you collect should be relevant and reliable to answer your question.

Phase 3: Analyze the data 🧐

After collecting the data, it’s time to analyze it. This means using different techniques and statistical methods to explore the data, find patterns and relationships, and draw meaningful conclusions. This is like a detective analyzing clues to solve a case.

Phase 4: Interpret the results 🤝

The final phase is to interpret the results. This means answering the question you posed in the beginning using the information you gathered and analyzed. The results could be presented through tables, graphs, or charts to make them easy to understand and interpret.

So, that’s it! The four phases of a statistical investigation are pose a question, collect data, analyze the data, and interpret the results. It’s a bit like being a detective, but with data.