Guidelines for Data Analysis

The following tips and questions from Calhoun (1994), Mills (1999), and Padak and Padak (1994) are helpful for assisting with data analysis:

• Continue to ask questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how?

• Determine what important points the data reveal.

• Identify or look for themes: Sort data into piles so that each pile shares a broad characteristic. Write a summary statement for each pile.

• Determine what patterns or trends show up. Can they be explained?

• Determine how data from various sources--test scores, grades, surveys, interviews, and observations, and documents--compare or contrast.

• Develop a concept map.

• Review the data. Do any correlations seem important?

• Determine if the results are different from what was expected.

• Decide what actions are indicated.

References