Help with methodology and data analysis

Statistics coaching within the framework of your thesis

Whether you’ve already collected data or still need to get started, we can help you with each stage of your study. Many students have taken statistics at some point or another throughout their studies but may have forgotten the material by the time they need it for their thesis. Suddenly, interpreting output isn’t as straightforward as it once was, and it may as well be written in code. You may be wondering whether your dataset checks out. Not to worry! Whether you’re working with SPSS, Matlab or Excel, we have a specialist to help get you back on track with your data analysis.

How does the coaching work?

Many of the issues you face during your data analysis arose during the design phase of your method. This is why we backtrack a bit: what was it exactly that you wanted to measure? We use this approach to work back though your data and ensure that you have a good understanding of the process.

  • Which questions would you like to answer with your data? We take stock of precisely which questions you would like to answer with your data. To do this, we will return to your sub-questions, hypotheses or conceptual model.

  • How did you collect your data or how will you go about doing so? After clearly identifying the research question, we will look at how your data was, or will be, collected. We will take a specific look at validity and reliability: which conclusions can you actually draw from the data? Did you effectively measure what you intended to? If you have not yet collected your data, we can provide guidance and help you prepare questionnaires or surveys, for instance.

  • What can you do, or not do, with your data? After collecting your data, we will have a look at what you can, or cannot, do with it. We will run a fine-toothed comb through your dataset, check assumptions and explain what you need to do before the data can be analysed. Should you remove missing values? Do you need to reverse score some answers? Will scales need to be developed? Are they reliable? Not quite sure how to carry out a factor analysis or calculate Cronbach’s alpha?

  • How do you conduct analyses and how do you interpret the results? Now we really get started with data analysis. Once we know which variable we need in order to answer your research question and which tests to use, most of the work is already behind us. We assist you in correctly executing the studies and explain how you can interpret the results. As we have already looked into methodology, we can look at your results with a critical eye. Right off the bat, you will be confronted with several critical points that you can include in your conclusion.

  • A selection of the analysis methods that we can support you with: Single and multiple regression analysis, mediation and moderation analysis, correlation analysis, variance analysis(ANOVA: one-way, two-way, repeated measures), t-tests (one sample, independent samples, paired samples), Chi-square, factor analysis, reliability analysis (Cronbach’s alpha) etc.

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What students have to say about our help

“I won a week of study coaching via Twitter. Very convenient, in fact, as I was struggling with several resits. Kinge and Ellen helped me with a research study required for a third-year course. I needed to conduct and analyse a survey. I wasn’t sure where to begin, but they quickly reassured me, helped me structure the study, helped me with SPSS -with Ellen’s enthusiasm, you can’t help but start enjoying the program!- and gave me good tips. I’ve nearly finished the study now. I wouldn’t have managed without these two on my side!” – Naomi, Media, Information and Communication