Assignment 2 2005-2006:
Presentations
Oral communication of
quantitative findings is an important yet often neglected skill. This
assignment will give you an opportunity to share your results with the
class and to learn more about oral presentation of research results. Each
student will make a three minute presentation of their own best research
results. A good presentation will very briefly outline a research
question, a set of findings in a table or two and conclude by indicating
the implications both substantive and methodological of the investigation.
Printed tables or charts that display the central findings in an
accessible fashion may be projected
using the document camera in our classroom or an electronic version may be
posted to the Web. In
preparing the presentation, students
should concentrate on the technical aspects of their work while making
their
priority the effective communication of your results, not the
demonstration of your statistical virtuosity. Presentations should be clear and
the analyses thoughtful, clearly stating a hypothesis and showing how
the data bear
directly upon it. As you prepare your presentation be sure to ask yourself: Are my hypotheses clear? Are my tables accurate?
Do they communicate my analyses clearly and
concisely? Are my data fully and properly analyzed? Do my conclusions flow from my analyses?
Do they refer back to
the hypotheses? You may use any of the statistical techniques we discuss in class. But be
sure to provide sufficient detail on the operational definitions of
concepts, the construction of indices or other measures, as well as on
your statistical analyses so that a fellow classmate could replicate
your findings..
Beyond striving for a technically sound presentation, you should also be
concerned with the effective communication of your work. This may require
re-working things as
well as eliminating the unnecessary and the extraneous. Take care to ensure that
you express your ideas with clarity and in a way that
engages the audience as well as communicating your best analyses.
Up to six points will be given
for the presentation. To ensure adequate attendance, two points will be
given for being present in class on each presentation date. Assignments
Date Assigned: October 4/6
Title of Assignment: Presentations/Audience
Due Date: Nov. 29/Dec. 1 or Dec. 6/8
Points: 10
