Interpretation of Research Findings
Differentiate between a population and a sample, and a parameter and a statistic. In your explanation, apply the concepts of descriptive and inferential statistics. Provide specific examples to illustrate each. Discuss why the ability to differentiate these terms is critically important when interpreting research findings related to public health.
Research on people uses both descriptive and inferential statistics in analyzing results and drawing on conclusions. According to Walliman (2017), descriptive statistics provide quick methods of comparing sets of data, while inferential statistics aids in making inferences on the data from a sample population. Population refers to the body of subjects or the collection of items under consideration, such as the number of recovered Covid-19 cases. A sample is a subset of the population from which research chooses an unbiased subset of the population as a representative of the population. A sample can be picked by selecting 100 cases from possible 1000 recovered cases. A parameter refers to a number that characterized specific aspects of a given population, such as the average age of recovered cases of Covid-19. On the other hand, a statistic refers to a piece of data from a sample of a population. For example, the statistic in a research study on Covid-19, the statistic could be the average age of recovered Covid-19 cases.
The ability to differentiate the various descriptive and inferential statistics is critical in the interpretation of research findings. Knowledge of the concept is essential in developing essential expertise. The ability to differentiate the terms is also essential in developing proper data collection methods as well as apply the correct analysis methods and present the results effectively. It is also critical to developing the kind of statistics to use in collecting and analysis of data before the onset of the research. Adequate knowledge of the various concepts of statistics is also essential for designing useful interpretation tool. The knowledge aids in remaining reliable through the presentation of accurate comparisons and well-formulated inferences (Guetterman, 2019). Therefore, in the interpretation of research findings, the research needs to have an in-depth understanding of the subject as well as the statistical concepts to give meaning to the research.
References
Guetterman, T. C. (2019). Basics of statistics for primary care research. Family medicine and community health, 7(2). https://dx.doi.org/10.1136%2Ffmch-2018-000067
Walliman, N. (2017). Research methods: The basics. Routledge.