Evaluation

Are the Findings of the report fit for its Purpose?

The final Evaluation considers the statistically based report as a whole. Do the Findings match the Purpose, and answer the questions raised there?

You should also give an overview of the biggest problems with the report, and suggest improvements to the study.

DON'T evaluate the report's writing style, clarity or whether or not you believe it to be true.

PPDAC

Thinking through how the report used the statistical inquiry cycle (PPDAC cycle) is another good way to evaluate a statistically based report. A lot of the features of a statistical report are related to the Plan.

Problem: what is the purpose of the investigation?

Plan: how was the survey (sampling and survey methods) designed?

Data: how was the data collected?

Analysis: how was the data analysed and summarised?

Conclusion: what findings were reported?

Background Research

A good evaluation will link the statistical concepts to the particular context of the study. This might mean you need to do some background research into the study's topic, the company conducting the research, or the population of interest.

For instance, if a report is about a study commissioned by 'MSD Animal Health' about a cat disease called toxoplasmosis to look for evidence of infections in humans, you might do research online about and find out that:

MSD Animal Health sell a vaccine in NZ for toxoplasmosis
40% of NZ cats are carriers of toxoplasmosis
WHO reports that awareness of toxoplasmosis in humans is low
A toxoplasmosis infection during pregnancy can cause serious health problems for the baby.

These facts might help you connect the statistical features of the report to their effectiveness within the context.

Kiwis' grubby bathroom habits exposed - research

8 July 2015, Fuseworks Media (article link) abridged

Kiwis don’t shower daily or wash their hands after using the loo, and are sick of their partners leaving the toothpaste in a mess and using all the hot water, according to a new survey.

The study, commissioned by Rinnai, investigated Kiwis’ attitudes to bathroom hygiene and toiletry etiquette, and showed some less-than-sparkling habits when it came to our showering schedule.

A quarter of Kiwis (25%) said they don’t shower or bathe every day.

The survey also revealed the things that annoy us the most when it comes to our partner using the bathroom.

It appears picking up the towels and bathmat off the floor is the secret to relationship harmony, with nearly one in three (27%) saying the bathroom being left in a mess bugs them.

However, the biggest annoyance is hopping into the shower to find your partner or flatmate has used up all the hot water and left you with a cold shower to start the day, with nearly one-third (30%) of people saying it’s the very worst habit someone can have.

Nearly half of all households (47%) have a shower time limit in place for their families, and a further 28% have reduced the temperature of their hot water to save.

Managing director for Rinnai NZ, Ray Ferner, says the figures reflect how much hot water supply and power bills impact on New Zealanders’ lives.

"Hot water accounts for around 30% of an average Kiwi household electricity bill, and is obviously in greater demand over the colder winter months, so it’s clearly an important concern for most homes," says Ferner.

Rinnai offers a new power saving hot water cylinder that works by learning household hot water usage patterns, and reducing its cylinder temperature when not in use.

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Focus Questions

Are the findings suitable for the report’s purpose?
To what extent are the results unbiased and reliable?
Are there any underlying or lurking variables that may have an impact on the outcome?

Possible Answers

The purpose of this report seems to have been to inform New Zealanders of the proportion of the population who think that the worst bathroom habit is using up all the hot water. The study was probably commissioned by Rinnai to give them a reason to tell potential customers of how their new product will help solve this problem - so there is a potential conflict of interest. It would be better if an independent company had been commissioned to conduct the research.

If the 'bad bathroom habits' list was read to respondents in a certain way, it might have made it more likely for them to choose "using all the hot water" as the worst. Since Rinnai would have an interest in this response coming out on top, this cannot be discounted.

The survey does not seem to have asked about some important underlying variables, like whether they live alone; whether they have gas-heated hot water; and whether they shower in the morning or evening. All of these could affect the responses to the key question about the worst bathroom habit.

Depending on the sample size, 27% saying "leaving the bathroom in a mess" and 30% saying "using all the hot water" might not actually be different (due to the margin of error).

Task 8

Answer the Evaluation focus questions about the Drink Driving report:

Are the findings suitable for the report’s purpose?
To what extent are the results unbiased and reliable?
Are there any underlying or lurking variables that may have an impact on the outcome?

You could now write about the whole Drink Driving report; or move on to the practice assessment about Sleep.

Report-Drink Driving.pdf

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