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DOC670 Applied Statistics for Research
Module 1 Case
ASSESSMENT OF DATA SOURCES FOR THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
Assignment Overview
You will be working from the statement of intent about your project and the introduction that you originally prepared in DOC650 along with the literature review that you prepared in DOC660. By now, you should have a pretty good idea of the structure of your project, what you hope to accomplish with it, who you will be working with on it, and what you will actually be doing. The purpose of this methodology statement is to describe systematically what you will be doing in your research and how you will be doing it.
In the Case for this module, you will be reviewing numerous readings relating to different kinds of studies and how they are structured, the relationship between research questions and study design, and the constraints on research posed by different kinds of designs. You will then be asked to review your study and your research questions in light of this material, and to select and describe an appropriate study design that you believe will help you answer the research questions you have posed. This will constitute the first section of your project methodology.
As the course progresses, you will be making a series of decisions in which you will increasingly specify the structure of your project. These decisions build on each other in critical ways. However, you are not locked into previous decisions if you subsequently decide you need to change direction. In each subsequent module, as you build up your methodology, you will have an opportunity to go back and revise and/or extend the sections completed in previous modules. Case grades given for the first four modules will be advisory rather than final. Your ultimate grade will be based on the completed methodology at the end of the course.
Case Assignment
Prepare a 5- to 7-page paper in accordance with the Assignment Expectations below, describing the basic research design for your project, in accordance with the following outline:
Restate your research question(s), simply and directly.
Describe your basic assumptions about the project, the research site, and the participants, as well as the role that you hope to play.
Describe the goal(s) you hope your project will achieve.
Describe the general methodology you chose for your study, in terms of the various categories of research described in the module readings:
Examples of Research Methodologies
The DSP format and variation is based on the type of research design chosen. The most common types are the Case Study, Action Research, and Process Improvement. For an extended definition and application of research methodologies, refer to the DBA Handbook section 1.4.
Case Study. A case study takes a real case and contemporary phenomenon to investigate in depth and within its real-world context. For example, if a researcher writes a DSP on a marketing-related problem, they need to visit a business or organization on their physical location. They will need sufficient access to data for the research such as interviewing people, reviewing documents or records, or making field observations. (Studied in DOC640).
Action Research. This type of research considers real-world problems for solutions or recommendation in a participatory or collaborative way in an organization or community. Interactions and engagement are cyclical ways to
produce both knowledge and change action. This method requires sufficient data access, involving multiple cycles for change or implementation. (Studied in DOC640).
Process Improvement. Before improving any process, the researcher must investigate what is wrong, what is the root cause of the inefficiency, and how it can be fixed. The DBA Handbook suggests that this type of study is holistic to understanding how each business process interacts with the rest of the organization. The goal is to increase process effectiveness, efficiency, and profitability. Process Improvement should examine internal and/or external factors related to the area of improvement. It could also recommend business process change. The researcher needs sufficient access to data to implement, process, and monitor change. (Studied in DOC640).
Mixed Methods Research Design. Designing a mixed methods research is a challenging process due to the time required for creation and validation of quantitative instruments. The DBA Handbook recommends that quantitative components should be used as triangulation of data through secondary data sources such as government database records.
Ethnographic Research. It is a systematic investigation through in-depth observations and variables studying interactional patterns of people, cultures, habits, and mutual differences. Ethnographic research applies to business, educational, psychology, and medical patterns leading to multi-dimensional research.
Phenomenology. Through this method, the researcher focuses on commonalities and patterns of a particular group to construct universal meaning of an event, situation, or experience. The goal is to seek an understanding of people’s lived experience within a particular group. Through this process, the researcher may build a more insightful understanding of the phenomenon. Examples of phenomenology are research seeking understanding of affirmative action, political scandals, medical treatments, etc.
Examples of Data collection Techniques
Focus groups
Interviews (structured, semi-structured)
Participant Observation
Document Analysis
Explain why this method is the best for your purposes.
Identify your research partner(s) and the role they will play in the project.
List any specific deliverables that you will provide to your research partner(s) at the end of the project.
Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5–7 pages long (double-spaced), not counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
When you write your paper make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
Use evidence from your readings to justify your conclusions.
Be sure to cite at least five credible resources.
Make sure to reference your sources of information with both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Trident guide to APA Style, 7th edition. Another resource is the “Writing Style Guide,” which is found under “My Resources” in the TLC Portal.
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
Assignment-Driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem, and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in-text citations and the reference list.
Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.
DOC670 Applied Statistics for Research
Module 1 SLP
ASSESSMENT OF DATA SOURCES FOR THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
In this SLP you will begin the process of collecting and analyzing background information on the firm for your Doctoral Study Project (DSP). You received this firm’s commitment via the Letter of Intent in DOC650.
In the SLPs, you will analyze secondary data on your chosen firm. (In the Cases, you will design how you will conduct your primary research at the firm.) Secondary data are records that are publicly available while primary data for most of you will involve interviews and observations at the firm.
In the SLPs, you will take a deep dive into the context of the firm for your DSP. For some of you this may be a for-profit corporation that has stockholders and publishes an Annual Report with articles about the firm in Forbes, Fortune, CNNMoney, and other sources. For others, this may be a non-profit or volunteer organization. Some may have selected a small business that is privately owned, or you may have selected a government agency for your DSP. You could be researching an educational institution at any level. Bear in mind that before you can start collecting primary data from the firm, you will need to submit a proposal on your research to Trident’s Institutional Review Board, one of whose rules is that research subjects must be at least 18 years of age.
In this SLP, you will describe the organization where you will conduct your DSP research, describing the organization in detail and why it is relevant for your research question. Here in SLP 1, you will build a quantitative case to supplement your qualitative rationale for selecting this firm.
Below is a list of data sources that may be helpful in finding background information for your firm. You may have other sources, and you can certainly use them as long as you provide the source for the information you use in justifying the context for your DSP research.
Data Sources
https://www.usa.gov/statistics
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/susb.html
http://www.annualreports.com/
http://data.foundationcenter.org/
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade/2020/2020-census-main.html
https://www.bls.gov/
https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-trends/ (available via the Trident Online Library)
Nonprofits
In the remaining SLPs, you will use Excel. In Figure 1 below you see how you can get the latest version of Excel via the Trident website using Microsoft 365. EXCEL is free to you as a TUI Student. Log on to mytlc.trident.edu and then go to your email.
Click the Office 365 button at the top.
Click Install Office Apps.
Follow the directions to get Office 365 on your computer.
Figure 1
Figure 1.
SLP Assignment Expectations
Provide background data about your organization. This may be the total sales or the number of customers, patients, or clients served. How does this firm differ from other similar organizations? Find similar statistics on these other similar firms and provide a comparative analysis in a table.
You want to find all the secondary data available on the organization that you can locate. Besides financial data this may involve research with IBISWorld libraries and articles in Fortune Magazine or Business Week. Get the names of management and descriptions of their jobs. Find out the firm’s locations (addresses) and how products or services are delivered. Describe the customers or other external contacts. What are the logistical issues in delivering the product or service? Who are the competitors and what are their sales? Of the total market for the product or service, what percentage does your firm have?
From your review of secondary sources, produce a 4- to 5-page Background Introduction on your selected firm. In coming modules, you will add quantitative analysis to the Introduction you develop for this SLP. This is the first step and the introduction to your background on why this firm has been selected for your research.
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
Assignment-Driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in-text citations and the reference list.
Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.
DOC670 Applied Statistics for Research
Module 2 Case
DESIGNING THE STUDY AND ASSESSMENT OF THE RESEARCH CONTEXT
Assignment Overview
In this Case, you will be reading materials relating to definition of constructs, operational definition, and measurement. Then, you will be asked to create a list of such constructs and measures for your own study, taking into consideration the issues you have been reviewing and the decisions that you previously made regarding research designs. You will also be asked to identify control and/or environmental factors that you won’t be able to include directly in your study, but which might affect your results.
As the course progresses, you will be making a series of decisions in which you will increasingly specify the structure of your project. These decisions build on each other in critical ways. However, you are not locked into previous decisions if you subsequently decide you need to change direction. You have an opportunity to go back and revise and/or extend the previous section completed in the previous module. If you do revise the earlier section, please include it and indicate what changes you have made to it. Case grades given for the first four modules will be advisory rather than final.
Case Assignment
Prepare a 5- to 7-page paper in accordance with the following Assignment Expectations, describing the measurement issues for your project in accordance with the following outline:
List of main concepts in your study; why you believe that each of them is important.
Any explicit or implicit model that you may believe connects these concepts and that you propose to explore, if any. See above on creating and illustrating models.
Initial operational definitions of your study concepts, arranged in the form of this grid (please replace our illustration with your information):
Concepts Constructs Variables/
Indicators Measures Source Study or control Level of analysis
Love Love of children Time spent with child Minutes of direct contact per week Observation Study Individual
Quality of interaction Assessments immediately after interaction; qualitative ordinal scale 1-5 low-high Questionnaire to participants Study Individual
Gender Self-expressed gender Gender category Self-identification Participant query Control Individual
Profitability ROI ROI Calculated rate Organizational records Study Organizational
List any concerns you may have about measurement or the general availability of the data you need.
Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5–7 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
When you write your paper make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
Use evidence from your readings to justify your conclusions.
Be sure to cite at least five credible resources.
Make sure to reference your sources of information with both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Trident guide to APA Style, 7th edition. Another resource is the “Writing Style Guide,” which is found under “My Resources” in the TLC Portal.
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
Assignment-Driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in-text citations and the reference list.
Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.
DOC670 Applied Statistics for Research
Module 2 SLP
DESIGNING THE STUDY AND ASSESSMENT OF THE RESEARCH CONTEXT
Now that you have described the context for your research and provided a description of the secondary data available for that firm, you will now begin to mine that data. As an example, the United Way of Orange County was selected to demonstrate some use of Excel for your background analysis. For nonprofits, there is a database listed in the secondary sources list that has the financial report forms 990 listed for the nonprofits. This data is used in a running analysis for the United Way of Orange County.
If you need an Excel refresher, here are some resources to help you:
Brown, N., Lave, B., Romey, J., Schatz, M., & Shingledecker, D. (2018) Beginning Excel. OpenOregon, Creative Commons License. Retrieved from https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/beginningexcel/.
Harvey, G. (2016). Excel 2016 all-in-one for dummies [Books24x7 version]. John Wiley & Sons. Available in the Trident Online Library: Follow these instructions for Finding Skillsoft Books. Enter 112925 in the search bar.
Harvey, G. (2016). Chapter 10: Charming charts and gorgeous graphics. In Excel 2016 for dummies [Books24x7 version]. John Wiley & Sons. Available in the Trident Online Library: Follow these instructions for Finding Skillsoft Books. Enter 117498 in the search bar.
In Figure 3 below is the Excel Chart done for the United Way of Orange County showing how the spreadsheet was set up. (Click on the image below to open the file.)
Figure 3
Figure 3.
Using this as a model and using the secondary data you found on your firm, produce a background analysis on the firm that shows some pertinent information in the spreadsheet along with charts to show the impact this firm is having in the area or the competitive space in which it is located. This is your unique perspective on the firm you have selected for the DSP, and you will put this in the appendix ultimately as background on your firm. This, along with the Introduction you developed in SLP 1, will be the second part of the Background Analysis for your firm that will go in the Appendix of the DSP. Integrate the spreadsheet and graphical analysis into your Module 2 SLP.
SLP Assignment Expectations
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
Assignment-Driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in text citations and the reference list.
Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.
DOC670 Applied Statistics for Research
Module 3 Case
OBTAINING THE DATA FOR THE RESEARCH CONTEXT
Assignment Overview
In this Case Assignment, you will be reading several articles and sources about sampling, about participant recruitment and interaction, and about managing the relationship between research participants and researchers. You will then be asked to think about how these issues apply to your project and your research questions, and to develop an appropriate sampling plan for your study taking all these issues into consideration.
As the course progresses, you will be making a series of decisions in which you will increasingly specify the structure of your project. These decisions build on each other in critical ways. However, you are not locked into previous decisions if you subsequently decide you need to change direction. As before, you have an opportunity to go back and revise and/or extend the previous sections completed in previous modules. If you do revise earlier sections, please include them and indicate what changes you have made to them.
Case AssignmentPrepare a 5- to 7-page paper in accordance with the following Assignment Expectations, describing the sampling issues for your project, in accordance with the following outline:
Identify the organization within which you are going to be constructing your project, and the nature of the problem that you are investigating.
Identify the general kinds of respondents within the organization, and the kinds of information that you will need to collect from each group of people in order to complete your project.
Complete the following grid describing the respondents in your project and some things about them:
Interview(s)
Subject Role Topics When Purpose IRB concerns?
Questionnaire(s)
To whom Role(s) Topics Purpose IRB concerns?
Identify any additional issues which you think might arise in terms of obtaining cooperation from your respondents or that might complicate getting the information that you need.
Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5–7 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
When you write your paper make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
Use evidence from your readings to justify your conclusions.
Be sure to cite at least five credible resources.
Make sure to reference your sources of information with both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Trident guide to APA Style, 7th edition. Another resource is the “Writing Style Guide,” which is found under “My Resources” in the TLC Portal.
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
Assignment-Driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in-text citations and the reference list.
Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.
DOC670 Applied Statistics for Research
Module 3 SLP
OBTAINING THE DATA FOR THE RESEARCH CONTEXT
Descriptive statistics are used to learn about the characteristics of a measure that is collected over time or may be a measure of an item from a survey administered to many people. Typically, descriptive statistics are the average score (mean), the maximum, the minimum in the scores along with the variation. Descriptive statistics is used to describe the measures rather than to make inference centered around the same item or conceptual construct being measured. Thus, descriptive statistics is not inferential statistics and does not use probability to infer behaviors of a population from which the measures were drawn.
Descriptive statistics fits the background analysis for your firm selected for your DSP. Here you have financial and performance measures of the firm with respect to others in the same competitive space. In most cases descriptive measures can be used to generate trend lines to try and forecast based on past measures.
Here is a descriptive spreadsheet for the United Way of Orange County that shows the average and standard deviation for revenues and expenses from the 990 Report we looked at in SLP 2. Here in this spreadsheet Figure 4 (click the image to open the file) you see by clicking the various tabs on the lower part of the spreadsheet graphs that can be generated from this 990 data. Columns F and G have the average and standard deviation of the revenue and expense measures, but they are rather static. To use the years of revenue and expense measures, you can click the Forecast Sheet tab on your tool bar. This is how the graphs for Revenues, Expenses, and Net were produced where a technique called exponential smoothly is used that factors in the four years of data to produce the trend lines in the forecast.
Figure 4
Figure 4.
Chapter 18 in:
Carlberg, C. (2016). Excel sales forecasting for dummies, 2nd edition. John Wiley & Sons. Available in the Trident Online Library: Follow these instructions for Finding Skillsoft Books. Enter 132620 in the search bar.
SLP Assignment Expectations
Now examine the secondary data you have on your firm from SLP 2 or add more to the data as needed. Look at the sample and review the Excel book and particularly the one on Exponential Smoothing. Calculate some descriptive statistics for your data and prepare some forecast charts. Remember the Forecast Sheet tool on the upper toolbar next to What If Analysis. Produce a spreadsheet with associated graphs; also provide a page or two to discuss this data analysis and the conclusions you have drawn. Add this to the growing work you have on the Background for the firm you are studying.
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
Assignment-Driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in-text citations and the reference list.
Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.
DOC670 Applied Statistics for Research
Module 4 Case
DESIGNING THE TRIANGULATION APPROACH TO ADDRESS THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
Assignment Overview
In this Case Assignment, you will be reading several articles and sources describing data collection protocols, arrangements, and relationships, and the kinds of issues that need to be considered in developing a set of procedures for your study. You will then be asked to construct a basic procedure list and plan for your study, taking these issues into consideration and allowing for the decisions you previously made regarding design, measures, and respondents.
As the course progresses, you will be making a series of decisions in which you will increasingly specify the structure of your project. These decisions build on each other in critical ways. However, you are not locked into previous decisions if you subsequently decide you need to change direction. As before, you have an opportunity to go back and revise and/or extend the previous sections completed in previous modules. If you do revise earlier sections, please include them and indicate what changes you have made to them.
Case Assignment
Prepare a 5- to 7-page paper in accordance with the following Assignment Expectations, describing the procedural issues for your project, in accordance with the following outline:
Briefly describe the organization within which you are working for your project, and your relationship to it.
Identify your organizational contact/liaison person(s), their role within the organization, how you got involved with them, the role that you expect them to play in regard to your project, and the arrangements you have for maintaining regular contact with them.
Complete a basic plan/timeline for your project, according to the following grid. Identify the principal activities you will need to carry out, the approximate dates when you might complete them (or, if you’re unable to identify specific dates, at least how long you expect each activity to take), and any necessary prerequisites for any of these activities (that is, things that have to happen before the activity can be undertaken). Be sure to include both specific activities related to research and administrative events such as project approval and IRB (https://www.trident.edu/students-and-alumni/institutional-review-board/) approval, as well as any needed organizational reviews.
Activities Date start Date complete Prerequisites Deliverables (if any)
1
2
3
Identify any potential sources of difficulty or complication for your project—that is, things that might make it difficult to complete. For each difficulty, identify any ideas you might have about how to overcome it, and any kind of specific help you might need to resolve these issues.
Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5–7 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
When you write your paper make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
Use evidence from your readings to justify your conclusions.
Be sure to cite at least five credible resources.
Make sure to reference your sources of information with both a bibliography and in-text citations.See the Trident guide to APA Style, 7th edition. Another resource is the “Writing Style Guide,” which is found under “My Resources” in the TLC Portal.
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
Assignment-Driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in-text citations and the reference list.
Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.
DOC670 Applied Statistics for Research
Module 4 SLP
DESIGNING THE TRIANGULATION APPROACH TO ADDRESS THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
In DOC640 you discussed using Dedoose to do content analysis on qualitative data such as interviews. Content analysis can also be done on reports, statements, etc., from secondary data. Using the Strategic Plan from the United Way of Orange County’s website this Word Cloud was produced showing the most frequent words used in the Strategic Plan (the Strategic Plan was posted on the Web and then the text was copied to a Word document).
word cloud
Some of the words are clearly a part of their strategic mission and could be used to analyze transcripts from interviews later after you receive IRB approval.
Here is an example using Dedoose to analyze transcripts on priorities in Information Security by Information Security Specialists. Here the scenario for this research is described to show you results from the Dedoose analysis.
There were eleven propositions for insider threat for computer systems in an organization, and the propositions were evaluated in terms of importance and timing within an insider risk program. Seven volunteers participated in the research. The interviews were conducted over Zoom with the audio portion of the discussions recorded. Each of the participants was presented with the eleven propositions and discussed each in the interview. While the respondents are anonymous, Table 1 shows their demographics and role in setting up insider threat programs.
Table 1
Participant demographics
Table 1
The volunteers were recruited from the LinkedIn business networking platform. Over 70 individuals received invitations. Each invitation contained information about the purpose of the study, the fact that there would be a recorded interview, and that the research is carried out under applicable laws that govern research. The Informed Consent document was explained to prospective participants. Once they accepted the LinkedIn invitation, the respondents received a link to a Qualtrics survey containing the Informed Consent document. After they signed the Informed Consent form, it was possible to continue the research using the recorded interview. Of the 73 invitations sent, 25 of the individuals responded in the affirmative. Six withdrew their offer of participation, and others either did not sign the electronic copy of the Informed Consent or could not participate for some other reason. Seven volunteers were the final count of participants.
The central discussion of the interviews was dictated by the research question and the eleven propositions. Those eleven propositions were predetermined as the overarching themes of the interviews. Each proposition was presented to the volunteers one at a time, and then the subject stated their judgments. By signing the informed consent, the subject agreed to the Zoom interview and to have the audio of the interview recorded. Recording the discussions allowed detailed analysis of the conversations using the Dedoose qualitative analysis tool.
Transcription of audio data from the structured interviews occurred in three phases. In the first phase, the audio files underwent automatic transcription to text using a tool called Trint. The second transcription phase consisted of a transcriber listening to the MP3 audio files while reviewing the transcribed text and making corrections to inaccuracies. The third and final step was a second sweep of each text file to ensure that all the corrections had been made. The researcher and one assistant reviewed the transcribed text. The files underwent final validation by the researcher. After transcription of the audio and double-verification for accuracy, the text-based files were placed into Dedoose. Additionally, the demographic data regarding the participants was added as well.
After putting the files into Dedoose, an inductive method was applied to the transcribed data for the data coding. The image below shows a visual example of the coding process. Each transcript was first open coded as the transcriber listens to the audio of the interview. Subsequent passes allowed for linking related ideas in the axial coding part of the analysis. Figure 5 shows an example of the coding process.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Example of Open coding and Axial coding process in Dedoose.
The responses to the 11 propositions were coded according to two criteria, the first criterion is the importance of the proposed practice, and the second criterion is the timeline of implementing the practice when setting up a new insider threat program. Coding of the remainder of the text files from each of the interviews consists of a three-step process. The steps were open coding, axial, and lastly selective coding.
For this project, the 11 propositions provided a pre-existing framework of themes attached to each of the 11 propositions. One set deals with the importance of each proposition and another set deals with the timeliness of each proposition. These two frameworks were entered into Dedoose.
Each of the codes for the two types or characteristics were weighted in a custom fashion. Because there are 11 proposed processes, each code got a weight range of 1 to 11. In Dedoose, the higher the number, the greater the weight. When coding the interview, the researcher can evaluate the mood, context, and emphasis when adding a code weight to an excerpt in the text of each discussion. Figure 6 shows a sample of how each code can be assigned a weight range.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Weight range options set for coding in Dedoose, minimum weight 1, maximum weight 11.
Analysis of the transcripts with the coding yielded these results in Dedoose in Table 2.
Table 2
Table 2
These weights then can be used to interpret the interviews and to produce a graphical analysis.
SLP Assignment Expectations
For your Background analysis, obtain a document from your firm such as a statement from the president, statement to the stockholders, strategic plan, or something of that sort. Then use the WordCloud addin for Word 2016. Here is a video to show you how to obtain the free Addin ProWordCloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my1JRX84tyc
Now produce a WordCloud from the document you selected. Add to your Background a discussion of the results of the WordCloud and the areas identified. Discuss how these relate to the research question for your DSP. You will NOT use Dedoose here because you can NOT collect any interviews until you have your IRB approval. If you want you can work on using Dedoose to analyze the document you just used to produce a WordCloud; however, this is not required.
Add this to the growing work you have on the Background for the firm you are studying.
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
Assignment-Driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in text citations and the reference list.
Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.
DOC670 Applied Statistics for Research
Module 5 Case
COMPARING MODELS TO ASSESS THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
Assignment Overview
In this Case Assignment, you will be reading several articles and sources relating to different kinds of data analysis, the process of inferring conclusions from data, the legitimacy of different kinds of analyses, and the development of conclusions and recommendations from your data. You will then be asked to develop a preliminary data analysis and presentation plan, describing the kinds of inferences you hope to draw from your data and how you justify their legitimacy. You also be asked to sketch out a plan for presenting your findings for your research site and wrapping up your relationship with the site.
As the course has progressed, you have made a series of decisions in which you have increasingly specified the structure of your project. These decisions build on each other in critical ways. However, you’re not locked into previous decisions if you subsequently decide you need to change direction. As before, you have an opportunity to go back and revise and/or extend the sections completed in previous modules. If you do revise earlier sections, please include them and indicate what changes you have made to them.
Case Assignment
Prepare a 5- to 7-page paper in accordance with the following Assignment Expectations, describing the analysis issues for your project that form the basis for the Methodology section of your dissertation, in accordance with the following outline:
Identify the major kinds of data that you plan to collect during your project. Discuss the IRB approval process. For each major kind of data, identify steps that you will take to analyze those data for purposes of the project. The readings will help you identify different kinds of data and appropriate analytical procedures associated with each.
Identify the main kinds of conclusions that you hope to draw from your data analysis. These might be descriptive/analytical, prescriptive in the form of recommendations, suggestions in the way of forward thinking, or some combination of these. For each type of conclusion, identify offices and people within the organization that you believe might be interested in your conclusions, and why they might be interested.
Identify the main deliverables from your project, and to whom the delivery would be made other than the members of your doctoral committee.
Remember, the five Case Assignments that you’ve completed in this course together constitute an effective first draft of the Methodology section of your project proposal. Therefore, you want to review the previous assignments carefully in light of the feedback that you have been given and take the opportunity to make any needed revisions or modifications so that the document hangs together clearly and effectively. Your final grade for the case part of this course will be based on the sum of the five parts taken together, so this is your opportunity to remediate any deficiencies you might have encountered in previous modules.
Please conclude your paper with a paragraph or two assessing the effectiveness of this approach to developing the methodology for your project and any lessons that you have learned during this course about the nature and conduct of academic research in applied settings.
Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5–7 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
When you write your paper make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
Use evidence from your readings to justify your conclusions.
Be sure to cite at least five credible resources.
Make sure to reference your sources of information with both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Trident guide to APA Style, 7th edition. Another resource is the “Writing Style Guide,” which is found under “My Resources” in the TLC Portal.
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
Assignment-Driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem, and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in-text citations and the reference list.
Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.
DOC670 Applied Statistics for Research
Module 5 SLP
COMPARING MODELS TO ASSESS THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
In this SLP you will use statistical tests and graphics to determine if measures are significantly different across some specified criteria. Since your research is focused on one firm, you will be testing across relatively small sets of data. With such small sets of data, the tests do not assume normality that is required of parametric statistics. In parametric statistics, samples are drawn from a population so as to make generalizations from that population. For the tests you are doing in your dissertation, you will use small sample t-tests and visualizations.
For the United Way, this spreadsheet shows the donations across 14 of their major corporate partners. The donations are broken out by gender. Not only are they interested in the total gifts from each firm but also the break-out by gender and the average per person donation. Here is an image of the clickable spreadsheet shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7
Figure 9. Pivot Table example
SLP Assignment Expectations
Using the secondary data for your selected firm, produce an analysis that compares some key criteria to show the selected areas of focus in your research on your firm. This analysis will help you to show the importance of your research question for this firm and set the stage for the qualitative research you are about to undertake.
Produce a spreadsheet with associated graphs, also provide a page or two to discuss this data analysis and the conclusions you have drawn. Add this to the growing work you have on the Background for the firm you are studying. By integrating this work into your Background section, you will have completed an important addition for the appendix of your Dissertation. So be sure that you put together all five SLPs that tell the story of why you selected this firm for your Dissertation and how your analysis supports the importance of the work you will be doing on this dissertation research.
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
Assignment-Driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in-text citations and the reference list.
Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.