Key details:

Assessment title:

Statistical Investigation

Module Name:

Introduction to Advanced Statistics

Module Code:

PM608

Teacher’s Name:

tbd

Assessment will be set on:

Beginning of Cycle 3

Feedback opportunities:

peer feedback in class, in-class 1:1 feedback from class teacher 1 week before submission deadline.

Assessment is due on:

After theme 8, in cycle 3

Assessment weighting:

50%

Assessment Instructions

What do you need to do for this assessment?

Task:

You are required to complete a written Statistical Investigation, which will involve researching a topic and question of your choice. From the VLE page, you will be provided a list of data sets and scenarios to choose for this assessment You will introduce the topic by providing a historical or theoretical background and you will explain how the research question will be answered. You will descriptively analyse the data by use of calculations and graphs. You will complete a written analysis of the data, which will inform your conclusion. Any sources used will be referenced and examples of raw data will be included in an Appendices section.

Your tutor will provide support and feedback during the weeks leading up to the deadline. You must submit the Statistical Investigation on the VLE and via Turnitin by a set day and time.

Guidance:

For this assessment you should make use of the following formative activities that you have already completed.  These activities have been designed to support this summative assessment:

· Peer feedback on proposal to receive feedback

· One-to-one workshop with tutor during class time

You do not have to act on their feedback, but you may find it useful to enhance your final submission.

Please note:

This is an individual assessment so you should not work with any other student.

Structure:

The Statistical Investigation will be typed as a Word document, with sections and subheadings. Any graphs created using software such as Excel will be inserted into the Word document.

Your report should be divided into the following sections.

· Title page

· Introduction

· Methodology

· Calculations and Graphs

· Analysis of data

· Conclusion

· References

· Appendices (if appropriate)

Theory and/or task resources required for the assessment:

You may use your textbook, notes, PowerPoints etc. You will use a variety of academic sources from which you will collect data. Your work and ideas must be your own and/or correctly referenced.

Referencing style:

Any sources used must be referenced and included in a Harvard style reference list at the end of your report.

Expected word count:

You must include all of the recommended sections but there is no set word count

Learning Outcomes Assessed:

1. Critique original research data sets relevant to their field of study selecting appropriate statistical methods

2. Discuss the relevance, validity, and reliability of statistical methods in the context of experimental design

3. Evaluate and interpret scientific information and data, both qualitative and quantitative, relevant to applications of their subject area

Submission Requirements:

You must include the following paragraph on your title page:

I confirm that this assignment is my own work.

Where I have referred to academic sources, I have provided in-text citations and included the sources in the final reference list.

How to avoid academic misconduct

You should follow academic conventions and regulations when completing your assessed work. If there is evidence that you have done any of the following, whether intentionally or not, you risk getting a zero mark:

Plagiarism & poor scholarship

· stealing ideas or work from another person (experts or students)

· using quotations from sources without paraphrasing and using citations

Collusion

· working together with someone else on an individual assessment, e.g., your work is corrected, rephrased or added to by another (both parties would be guilty)

Buying or commissioning work

· submitting work as your own that someone else produced (whether you paid for it or not)

Cheating

· copying the work of another student

· using resources or aids that are not permitted for the assessment

Fabrication

· submitting work, e.g., laboratory work, which is partly or completely made up. This includes claiming that work was done by yourself alone when it was actually done by a group

Personation

· claiming to be another student and taking an assessment instead of them (both parties guilty)

Specific formatting instructions:

You must type your assessment as a single Word document in Arial font 11, with single spacing.

You must submit the assessment electronically via the VLE module page.  Please ensure you submit it via Turnitin by add date/time here.

Assessments submitted after the submission deadline may incur penalties or may not be accepted.

How will this assessment be marked?

The assessment will be marked using the following areas and weightings:

· Use of Research methodology 20%

· Presentation of data in visual form 20%

· Use of Mathematical techniques 30%

· Critical interpretation of results 20%

· Presentation of written data 10%

You will receive a % mark in each of these categories.  The overall mark will be a percentage (0-100%).

How will you get feedback?

Your tutor will mark the assessment and provide you with a written feedback sheet. You can use this feedback to guide your further learning on the module.