Question 1

The text highlights that, when percentages are reported in the Results section, what else is it important to report?&#10;A) The number of associated cases.&#10;B) The mean.&#10;C) The median.&#10;D) The standard deviation.

Accepted Answer

When reporting percentages in the Results section, it is important to also report the number of associated cases to provide context and a better understanding of the data. Mean, median, and standard deviation are typically reported when discussing numerical data, but are not necessary when reporting percentages.

Question 2

What is the main reason that the raw numbers of cases should be reported along with the percentages?&#10;A) Percentages are different for different numbers of cases.&#10;B) The number of underlying cases is associated with the resulting percentages.&#10;C) Percentages may be misleading if the associated number of cases is small.&#10;D) The number of associated cases can be more or less statistically significant.

Accepted Answer

Percentages may be misleading if the associated number of cases is small. It is important to report both the raw numbers and percentages so that readers can understand the magnitude of the data and have a clear understanding of the statistical power. Without this information, it is difficult to interpret the data accurately.

Question 3

What is the main rule about reporting the mean of a sample?&#10;A) The mean should only be reported for distributions skewed to the right.&#10;B) The mean should only be reported for approximately symmetrical distributions.&#10;C) The mean should always be reported along with the median and mode.&#10;D) The mean should always be interpreted with extreme caution as it is often misleading.

Accepted Answer

The main rule about reporting the mean of a sample is that it should only be reported for approximately symmetrical distributions. This is because the mean is heavily influenced by outliers and can be misleading in skewed distributions. Therefore, it is important to check the shape of the distribution before reporting the mean. Additionally, it is not always necessary to report the median and mode along with the mean.

Question 4

For skewed distributions, which measure of central tendency is usually the best alternative to the mean?&#10;A) The median.&#10;B) The standard deviation.&#10;C) The skewness.&#10;D) The raw scores.

Accepted Answer

The median is usually the best alternative to the mean for skewed distributions because it is not affected by extreme values in the same way that the mean is. The median represents the middle value of the distribution, so it is not influenced by outliers or extreme values in the same way that the mean is.

Question 5

What is an important rule about the reporting of statistically significant differences?&#10;A) They should be reported along with the measures of central tendency.&#10;B) They should be reported along with the raw scores.&#10;C) It should also be noted whether the differences are substantively large or small.&#10;D) It should also be noted which statistical package was used for calculating them.

Accepted Answer

It is important to note whether the statistically significant differences are substantively large or small because statistical significance does not necessarily equate to practical significance.

Question 6

All of the following statements correctly reflect the best practices for reporting quantitative results, EXCEPT:&#10;A) The Results section should be written as a cohesive essay.&#10;B) The narrative of the Results section should refer back to the research hypotheses of the study.&#10;C) When there are several related statistics, they should be presented in a table.&#10;D) The narrative should describe every result reported in the table.

Accepted Answer

Not every result in a table needs to be described in the narrative; only the most important or relevant results should be highlighted to maintain clarity and focus.

Question 7

Why is it important to present descriptive statistics before inferential statistics in a research report?&#10;A) This is a customary way of presenting the results of quantitative analyses.&#10;B) Descriptive statistics are more important than inferential statistics.&#10;C) Inferential statistics help generalize the results built upon descriptive statistics.&#10;D) It does not make a difference in which order the statistics are reported.

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics provide a summary of the data, allowing researchers to understand the central tendency, variability, and distribution of the variables. Inferential statistics, on the other hand, are used to make inferences about a population based on a sample of data. Therefore, it is necessary to present descriptive statistics before conducting inferential statistics because the latter is built upon the former. It is important to note that presenting statistics in a specific order is not just a customary way but rather a scientifically sound approach to research reporting.

Question 8

What is the best way to write a Results section in a research report?&#10;A) The section should be full of special terms and scientific jargon.&#10;B) The section should relay the researchers' knowledge of advanced statistical methods.&#10;C) The section should reference the researchers' other published work to boost citation counts.&#10;D) The section should be written in a plain language that a smart layperson can understand.

Accepted Answer

The Results section should be written in a plain language that a smart layperson can understand. The purpose of the section is to convey the key findings of the research study in a clear and concise manner. Using too much special terminology and scientific jargon can confuse readers who are not familiar with the field. Additionally, it is not necessary to reference other published work in the Results section, as this is more appropriate for the Discussion section. While knowledge of advanced statistical methods is important, it is not necessary to include this level of detail in the Results section, as this can also confuse readers.

Deck 10: Evaluating Analysis and Results Sections: Quantitative Research