“Statistical Investigation: Exploring a Chosen Topic Through Data Analysis and Research”

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. You will introduce the topic by providing
a historical or theoretical background and your will explain how the research
question will be answered. You will collect data by either primary or
secondary methods or both and 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 ideas
for research topics if required and support and feedback over a
number of weeks. 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:
·      
State the topic that you are
investigating.
·      
State at least 3 research questions
relating to this topic that you will be attempting to answer using statistical
methods.
·      
Collect appropriate secondary or
primary data to address each of your research questions and present it in
tabular or other suitable form. It is suggested that you use data from the
UK’s Office for National Statistics (www.ons.gov.uk). Ensure that you provide a citation
for all data and include a list of reference sources at the end of your
report.
·      
Use a suitable software package (e.g.
MS Excel or SPSS) and a range of appropriate graphical techniques to display
your data. Your report should include at least 3 graphs of at least 2
different types. All graphs must be produced by you and MUST NOT be copied
from reference sources.
·      
Describe any patterns you observe and
perform calculations of relevant quantities where appropriate.
·      
Use your data to draw relevant
conclusions addressing your research questions.
·      
Evaluate the validity and reliability
of your conclusions.