No small task here, but maybe worth your while. As we learned in class, an observational study is one in which the ‘experimenter’ takes no efforts or actions in measuring a particular variable about some subjects. The variable is defined, clear, and the study is carried out professionally, but in no way does the subject react to the administrator. Here’s a short description of an observational study in direct comparison to an experiment. Watch it to ensure you’ve got the idea of what an observational study is.

 

Over the years, students have had various topics for this project. Observing customers at their work in some fashion, observing patrons in restaurants, vehicular tendencies of drivers, student behavior in certain non-acrimonious regards. Lots of thoughts and ideas, and I’ve shared a few with you in class. Your task is to consider something you’d like to observe because you are genuinely are interested in what the results will tell you, write up a short outline of your potential procedure, get approval from me (a must), and then carry out the study. This can be done with a partner, but not more than that.

To complete:

1. Determine a topic(s) that you feel that you would be interested in studying.

2. Write up a short, but detailed, outline of what the plan would be in order to actually study what it it you’re proposing.

3. Get approval from me.

4. Carry out the study appropriately.

5. Compile the results in statistical form (i.e., with a graph, chart of your data, and then a written procedure and conclusion). Clearly, you should confirm with me prior to embarking on the simple write-up. Be glad to help.

6. Turn it in! This can be done digitally as well, so it can be emailed if that’s applicable.