MDM4U: Mathematics of Data Management, Grade 12, University Preparation

Unit 7: Culminating Data Management Investigation / Final Exam

Activity 1: Culminating Data Management Investigation

Content

Stage 4: Preparing the written report

You should be aware of the expected components of your report.

• Cover page

• Title—use a title that makes the purpose of the project apparent
• Name
• Teacher
• Class
• Due Date

• Table of Contents

• List all sections in the report, including their page numbers

• Abstract

• maximum of one page
• should be used to explain the main points of your project in a summary format;
• should include an introduction, a brief analysis, and your conclusions; and
• it is best to complete at the end of your project.

• Introduction

You should include:

• background information on your topic;
• it should include a clear statement of the question to be considered; that is, your thesis or the point you are trying to prove; and
• why you chose your topic.

• Procedure

You should include:

• a description of the methods used to collect the data for your project, such as sampling methods, sample size, the population being studied, survey questions, simulations, sources of data

• Results

You should include:

• only relevant data in the form of tables, charts, graphs
• all tables, charts and graphs should be properly labelled and bear a descriptive title so that they can stand alone. Essentially, a person who reads the report should be able to look only at the figures and have a very good sense of the results of the project;
• summary statistics such as sample mean, sample standard deviation, sample proportion, margin of error, confidence intervals and confidence levels, correlation coefficients, algebraic models;
• description of the observations in paragraph form;

• Analysis

You should include:

• an evaluation of the techniques used in this project;
• possible sources of bias (due to the sampling method, due to the analysis, cause-and-effect relationships);
• appropriateness of models and statistics used to summarize the data; for instance,
  • the use of the sample mean for bell-shaped distributions;
  • the use of mode for categorical data;
  • the use of median for skewed and other non-Normal distributions;
  • the appropriateness of a Normal model;
  • the appropriateness of a Normal approximation to a binomial distribution;
  • the appropriateness of a linear model to describe a correlation between two variables.
• validity of conclusions;
• further research that supports or contradicts these results;
• improvements that could be made to the data collection method;
• new questions that arise from this analysis that could be pursued in another study;
• possible applications of this information.
• ethical and moral implications of the data and/or topic

• Conclusions.

You should include:

• clear and concise statements that summarize your findings and address your thesis
• statements identifying the importance of the new information that was gained from this study
• ethical and moral implications of the data and/or topic

• References and Bibliography:

You should include:

• all sources of data and articles that you used in this study
• all sources must be listed at the end of the report using MLA format
• all sources must be cited in the report:
  • the source of data is cited in tables, graphs, charts and in the text as necessary
  • the source of information is cited in the text using a numbering system (1), (2), …
  • direct quotes from text must be included in quotation marks and the source cited

• Appendices

You should include:

• all supporting data tables, calculations, graphical displays, surveys

You should be aware that your report is to be assessed for its mathematical validity. The mathematical content of your report should be substantial. This project is your opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the skills and concepts of this course in an integrated approach.

Go to the assignment page and look at the written report outline that you will use and the rubric for this assignment. Do not forget to return here when you have finished.

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