Dissertation writing is a multi-stepped process that asks students to complete different tasks at different steps. It starts by gathering the very basic information to descriptively explain the area of interest and ends by deducing some results after conducting a detailed analysis. However, it also includes conducting the review, drafting a complete methodology, and collecting data that can provide valuable information to solve the scientific mystery. Among all of these, data collection and analysis are a few critical tasks that must need to be paid special attention to. In light of the importance of dissertation research data analysis, this article is drafted to let you know about some demographic analysis techniques.
Let’s first start our discussion by defining the dissertation research data:
Dissertation Research Data – A Brief Introduction
As a matter of course, dissertation research data is any form of information (audio, video, text) that is generated or gathered by the researcher to validate the research findings. In the current era of research, dissertation research data is mostly in the digital form; however, the non-digital type of data, such as readings entered in diaries or laboratory notebooks, can also be used. However, it is also often converted into digital data before conducting demographic analysis. Common examples of research data include photographs, database contents, artefacts, specimens, films, audio recordings, tape-recording, algorithms, or transcripts.
Demographic Analysis:
Demographic analysis, as suggested by its name, is a method often used to find the quality of a census. Basically, it includes statistics defining certain characteristics of a population, such as age, sex, race, education, income, marital status, and even employment rate; all are important forms of demographic data. However, the technique used to sum up the demographic data so its connection with the variables under study can be evaluated is called demographic analysis.
Importance Of Dissertation Research Data Demographic Analysis:
In a variety of research methods, both qualitative and quantitative, demographic analysis is used to understand population dynamics. By definition, population dynamics is the study of why and how a population changes over time in terms of size and structure. Usually, the factors such as reproduction, death or migration are considered to affect the population dynamics, which in turn affects the demographics.
Apart from all these, without understanding the demographic variables or population dynamics and linking them with the non-demographic variables, studies including behaviour, fertility, feminism, or migration cannot be conducted. However, examples of non-demographic variables include the level of education, health, family history, ethnic groups, and even the use of a first or second language.
In scientific studies, the demographic analysis is performed to:
- Calculating the population rates
- Developing models to expand the analytical thinking
- Making theories revealing new facts relevant to the field
- Expanding the scope of the small-scale studies to the large industrial-scale studies
- Predicting the effect of certain population-specific characteristics on the findings of the study
Steps Of Collecting Demographic Data For Demographics Analysis:
Demographic analysis is very important to take into consideration some factors of the population before statistically or mathematically analyzing it. It is vital, especially for studies whose results are affected by age, sex, or race. For example, if research aims to collect information about the increase in infertility rate among women, then considering the age, race, and of course, the sex of the participants who voluntarily participated in a study is very necessary. Moreover, to collect the demographic dissertation research data, the following steps can be followed in sequence:
- Recall your purpose of research:
- Make a survey, questionnaire, and poll to record information about the demographic factors:
- Try to ask questions from a broader aspect for collecting demographic information
- Leave blank spaces before every demographic section ends
- Ensure the correct order of questions under each section
- Set criteria based on the selected demographic variables to choose the participants for your study
- Use electronic or physical means to record your population’s responses to each demographic question
Steps To Analysis of The Dissertation Research Data:
As far as demographic research data is concerned, it is mostly in the form of quantitative data. Thus, in demographic analysis, you must first find a suitable statistical analysis tool like SPSS or EXCEL. Once the statistical tool is selected, then the next step must be to use it to reduce the large datasets into small manageable dissertation research data. Suppose it is SPSS, then you can follow the following steps for performing demographic analysis on dissertation research data:
- Open the SPSS sheet and click on the variable view to add a name to your variables. After that, click on the data view and enter the demographic data.
- Click on the analyze option in the main menu bar and select the specific test. For example, you can use the Z test in order to compare demographics between two groups; however, the Chi-square probability distribution test is suitable for analyzing categorical data containing different demographic variables.
- The graphical representation of all variables will depict the relationship between all included variables to end up the study.
Though demographics analysis cannot be only used to solve academic problems, however, in commercial research, it is also among the popular analysis methods. Whatever your purpose for conducting the analysis is, you can seek an expert’s advice. There are some best companies, like Affordable Dissertation UK from where you can ask for dissertation help online UK. Moreover, for market analysis or commercial research, you must need some research analysts.
Final Thoughts:
In summary, dissertation research data analysis is important to include certain characteristics of a population in the study. It simply aims to explain the distribution of characteristics in a population to understand it thoroughly, recommend new policies, and forecast upcoming events. Often surveys, polls, and questionnaires are used to collect data for demographic analysis. However, statistical tests such as Z-test or chai square probability distribution test are used to compare two variables or categorical data using SPSS or EXCEL.
