Data reports are not the same as data analyses. It’s like with your checking account. Sometimes you just want a quick report of your balance. That information from the bank’s database has to be up-to-date and readily available when you need it. Reports may include all the data or just summaries and graphs. People looking at a report have to figure out what it means. If you want to figure out where you’re spending your money, you have to conduct an analysis. You’ll have to compile the data, scrub out anomalies, look for patterns, and interpret the results. People looking at an analysis have to figure out what to do with the information.
Reports = data + descriptive statistics and graphs
Analyses = data + number crunching + interpretation
Dear Mr Kufs
I hope you don’t mind me posting this request here as I was not able to find any direct contact with you. I believe some of my research questions might be interesting also for you. My name is Katja Prevodnik and I am a PhD Student of Social Sciences Methodology at the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia).
Based on your blog activities, I address you as one of most active experts in the field of presenting statistics to various target groups. In my PhD project, I am dealing with perceptions of simple statistical measures. As we cannot meet in person to conduct a face-to-face interview, I have prepared a very “open” online questionnaire on issues I am interested in. This short questionnaire is an important part of my research project. The results will be used to better develop and improve frameworks for analysis and interpretation of certain data to avoid misleading or incorrect conclusions. I believe that the cooperation of experts is crucial to give trustworthy and valid conclusions.
The core questionnaire will only take about 10 minutes. Your answers will be handled with extreme confidentiality and the results will only serve for the scientific purposes. As one of the respondents of my research, you will also be notified on the results of the project (in case you wish to be, please send me an e-mail with the subject FEEDBACK).
You can access the questionnaire at the link http://www.1ka.si/BLOGGER (just click on the link or type this into the web browser).
If any additional information regarding your engagement is needed, please, do not hesitate to contact me directly (katja.prevodnik@fdv.uni-lj.si) or leave comments at the end of the online questionnaire (for anonymity purposes).
Sincerely,
Katja Prevodnik (Research Assistant at UL, Slovenia)
Getting that Dilbert feeling now.