Analyzing and interpreting data

Comparative Analysis of Planning

Outputs

“There’s a world of difference between truth and facts.

Facts can obscure the truth.”
-Maya Angelou

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Data analysis and interpretation
• What is Data Analysis?
- the process of systematically applying
statistical and/ or logical techniques to
describe and illustrate, condense and recap
and evaluate.
• Steps: Evaluate, clean and summarize
• (Cleaning, analyzing, interpreting and
visualizing data to discover valuable insights)
– What did we learn?
– What conclusions can we draw?
– What are our recommendations?
– What are the limitations of our analysis?
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Why do I need an analysis plan?

• To make sure the questions and

your data collection instrument will
get the information you want.
• To align your desired “report” with
the results of analysis and
interpretation.
• To improve reliability--consistent
measures over time.

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Key components of a data analysis plan

• Purpose of the evaluation

• Questions
• What you hope to learn from the
question
• Analysis technique
• How data will be presented

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Analysis technique
•Descriptive Analysis: considers the historical data, Key
Performance Indicators and describes the performance based on a chosen
benchmark. It takes into account past trends and how they might influence future
performance.
•Dispersion Analysis: Dispersion in the area onto which a data set
is spread. This technique allows data analysts to determine the variability of the
factors under study.
•Regression Analysis: This technique works by modeling the
relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent
variables. A regression model can be linear, multiple, logistic, ridge, non-linear,
life data, and more.
•Factor Analysis: This technique helps to determine if there exists
any relationship between a set of variables. This process reveals other factors or
variables that describe the patterns in the relationship among the original
variables.

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• Discriminant Analysis: It is a classification
technique in data mining. It identifies the
different points on different groups based
on variable measurements. In simple terms,
it identifies what makes two groups different
from one another; this helps to identify new
items.
• Time Series Analysis: In this kind of
analysis, measurements are spanned
across time, which gives us a collection of
organized data known as time series.
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How data will be presented

• Data can be presented in running text,

in framed boxes, in lists, in tables or
in figures, with each of these having a
marked effect not only on how readers
perceive and understand the research
results, but also on how authors
analyse and interpret those results in
the first place.

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Analyzing and Interpreting Quantitative
Data

• Quantitative Data is
-Presented in a numerical format
-Collected in a standardized manner
e.g. surveys, closed-ended interviews,
tests
- Analyzed using statistical techniques

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Analyzing Survey Data
Do you want to report…
• how many people answered a, b, c,
d?
• the average number or score?
• a change in score between two
points in time?
• how people compared?
• how many people reached a certain
level?
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 Common descriptive statistics
>Measures of Frequency
•Count (frequencies)
•Percentage
> Measures of Central Tendency
•Mean
•Mode
•Median
> Methods of dispersion or Variation
•Range
•Standard deviation
•Variance
Measures of position
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ranking
Other Statistics
• Statistical Significance- is the likelihood
that the difference in conversion rates
between a given variation and the
baseline is not due to random chance. ...
It also means that there is a 5% chance
that you could be wrong.
• Factor Analysis- a technique that is used
to reduce a large number of variables into
fewer numbers of factors. 
• Etc.
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Getting your data ready
• Assign a unique identifier(IUD)- ex. media
access control address MAC address uniquely assigned to each individual
hardware network interface device produced by the manufacturer of the devices

• Organize and keep all forms

(questionnaires, interviews, testimonials)
• Check for completeness and accuracy
• Remove those that are incomplete or do
not make sense

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 Data entry
• You can enter your data
>By hand
>By computer
–Excel (spreadsheet)
–Microsoft Access (database mngt)
–Quantitative analysis: SPSS (statistical
software)
–Qualitative analysis: Epi info (CDC data
management and analysis program: In ViVo,
etc.
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Data entry computer screen
Smoking: 1 (YES) 2 (NO)
Survey Q1 Do you Q2 Age Q3 Support
ID smoke? ordinance?
001 1 24 2
002 1 18 2
003 2 36 1
004 2 48 1
005 1 26 1

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Dig deeper

• Did different groups show different

results?
• Where there findings that surprised
you?
• Are there things you don’t
understand very well – further study
needed?

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Supports Opposes Undecided/

restaurant restaurant declined to
ordinance ordinance comment
       
Current 8 33 14
smokers (15% of (60% of (25% of
(n=55) smokers) smokers) smokers)

       
Non-smokers 170 16 12
(n=200) (86% of non- (8% of non- (6% of non-
smokers) smokers) smokers)

       
Total  178 49 26
(N=255) (70% of all (19% of all (11% of all
respondents) respondents) respondents)

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Pre-post or post-then-pre Data

• Check data—any individual not responding to

both pre and post should be discarded
• Decide:
– Report individual change or combined change?
– Compare to a standard?

• See PD&E Evaluation Quick Tip 30

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Interpretation of Pre/Post Data
Which statement is the most significant to you?
The number of club officers reporting strong or very strong
knowledge of parliamentary procedure increased from 4
(50%) to 6 (75%). Rate your knowledge of parliamentary
The number of club officers reporting at least some knowledge
of parliamentary procedure increased from 5 (63%) to 8
procedure : 1=minimal 2=some
(100%). 3=strong 4=very strong
50% of the 8 participants reported an increase in their
knowledge of parliamentary procedure.
Self-reports of knowledge of parliamentary procedure on a
scale from 1=minimal to 4=very strong averaged 2.375 Respondent Pre- Post-
before the training and 3.0 after.
A 1 2
B 3 3
C 4 4
D 4 4
E 2 3
F 1 3
G 1 2
H 2 (missing)
I 3 (missing)
J 3 3

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Discussing limitations
Written reports:
• Be explicit about your limitations
Oral reports:
• Be prepared to discuss limitations
• Be honest about limitations
• Know the claims you cannot make
– Do not claim causation without a true experimental
design
– Do not generalize to the population without
random sample and quality administration (e.g.,
<60% response rate on a survey)

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Analyzing and Interpreting Qualitative
Data

• Qualitative data is thick in detail and

description.
• Data often in a narrative format
• Data often collected by observation, open-
ended interviewing, document review
• Analysis often emphasizes understanding
phenomena as they exist, not following pre-
determined hypotheses

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 Analyzing qualitative data
“Content analysis” steps:
• Prepare and organize your data. Print
out your transcripts, gather your notes,
documents, or other materials. ...
• Review and explore the data. ...
• Create initial codes. ...
• Review those codes and revise or
combine into themes. ...
• Present themes in a cohesive manner.
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Hand coding
qualitative data

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Using theories and categories

• Consider this section-how are arts and

communication programs providing the
4 Essential Elements?
– Generosity Opportunity to value and practice service for
others
– Belonging An inclusive environment and safe environment
– Independence Opportunity to see oneself as an active
participant in the future; Opportunity for self-determination
– Mastery Engagement in Learning and Opportunity for Mastery

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 Ensuring Validity in Qualitative Analysis

• Be systematic- do it in an orderly,
methodical way
• Use multiple raters-The idea being that these
individuals will provide insights and their collective
comments will provide greater feedback for the
recipient
• Attend to context (e.g. keep track of who said
what)
• Account for outlying and surprising
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Ensuring Validity in Qualitative Analysis

• Triangulate
-the use of multiple methods or data
sources in qualitative research to
develop a comprehensive
understanding of phenomena

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Resources

• Building Capacity in Evaluating

Outcomes Curriculum and Training

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