Dissertation is a form of academic writing that aims to discuss a problem of study. The relevant information is used to address the designed problem. After that, you have to propose a constructive solution based on the results of the data analysis. The data cannot be in any form, but it must be in a particular form as per the research design. For example, quantitative research design focuses on numeric data.
On the other hand, qualitative research design facilitates subjective data type. Data analysis is one of the major steps in obtaining the required results. The raw data is almost a piece of trash that cannot help you in anything. In data analysis, you have to extract valuable data from the trash. With the right data analysis plan, you can make it valuable. Therefore, this article aims to discuss about data analysis plan for a dissertation.
What Is Meant By Plan For Data Analysis?
Data analysis plan works as a roadmap that helps in data handling. Also, it works well for data classification and analysis. The purpose of the data analysis plan is to have a well-defined path for research. For data collection, you have to design some relevant questions. If you are a fresh researcher, you may not be able to generate the right set of questions. In this case, the plan of data analysis helps you a lot. It guides you well on how a particular question can address your problem constructively.
Many times it happens that the researcher collects a large sample of data. At the end of the analysis, he finds the data is irrelevant to the research study. If you face a similar situation, it will cause a loss of time, effort and money. A proper data analysis plan saves you from unpleasant circumstances, and you get the best results on time.
How do you prepare a Data Analysis Plan?
In order to make a plan for data analysis, you need to follow some steps. Each step has a basic purpose of serving. So, it would be better if you do not skip any step. These steps are mentioned below:
- Identify the objective of the study
- Determine the dataset
- Find the relevant research criteria
- Identify the research variables
- Analyse the data
- Find out the results
Let’s have a brief discussion on each step.
Identify the Objective of Study
As per a dissertation’s methodology, you must identify the study’s objective. Mention in your data analysis plan if you have to find a solution for a research problem or you need to test a hypothesis. The objective of research must be measurable. In research, you have to address real-life problems with a ground base discussion. Keep this aspect clear, so you do not have to deal with unpleasant situations. You can hire dissertation writing service UK if you feel any issue in this regard.
Determine the Dataset
You need to discuss the dataset in detail in the data analysis plan. It includes the collection as well as storage of the dataset. In secondary research, you need to ask some relevant organisations for a dataset. Now you have to mention the way to access the dataset of organisation. Also, mention in your plan about the storage of data. The dataset can be in the datasheet of particular software or stored in excel sheets. The details related to the dataset help a lot in the analysis.
Find the Relevant Research Criteria
The third part of plan should cover the criteria of research. The research criteria play a major role in finding the relevant variables of the study. There are two main research criteria, including inclusion and exclusion. The secondary research studies address both of criteria. Mention in your plan which criterion would be a part of your data analysis. In the inclusion criterion, you have to focus on keywords, languages and the range of years that need to be added.
In contrast, the exclusion criterion focuses on the same three aspects. The difference is that you must see which keyword should not be there. Similarly, target the language and year that are not required.
Identify the Research Variables
The information related to variables covers different aspects. You have to mention each variable’s measurement level and describe the variable type. The identification of variables needs critical evaluation. A little mistake can ruin all of your efforts. So, you have to be very careful about it. It is better to ask an expert researcher for valuable feedback.
Analyse the Data
The data analysis plan includes information on relevant software. The selection of software is dependent on the aim of the study. As a beginner, you should go for basic software. In this way, you can easily get the best result without much effort. When you get command on different software, it is good to go for advanced software with the latest versions.
Find Out the Results
Based on all the previous steps, you can find the results. At this point, you need to answer the research question by using an appropriate technique. Here, you have to mention the way to analyse the data. Also, it would help if you justify the reason for selecting a particular analysis method. The data analysis plan not only focuses on the step but also proper justification. You can better present the analysis in tabular form. It is one of the best ways to avoid complexity. It helps you present the data that is easy to understand for most readers.
Final Thoughts
At the time of working on a dissertation, data analysis plan is a basic requirement. At the start of a research career, it can be challenging to develop a plan. You can follow the above-mentioned steps to generate a productive data analysis plan. By having a genuine plan, you can complete your dissertation within a specified duration. Also, you would not have to deal with failure in different phases of your analysis plan. After generating a plan, you can ask your advisor for valuable feedback.
