The Final Blog

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All of the presentations are over, and the project has come to an end. My presentation went well, and I believe that the class was interested in my topic. The other student's topics were also very interesting, and I enjoyed learning of their findings. We did not have a rubric for the power point, so some students did not have certain information. From this point on we will be working on the AP exam. I am glad that the project is over, and I will take the experience with me.
Monday, May 4, 2009

Do Not Underestimate Excel

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As I began to type in my data into Microsoft Excel, I quickly realized that I had forgotten a lot about the program. The basic graph creating is still there for me, but I want to do more then make basic graphs. I want my graphs to stand out and be full of different effects and colors. This is where I think I will need the help of my fellow classmates. The program Minitab is also rather new to our school, and I will definitely need some help working with that program. The process will still continue, but when I return to school I will seek help. The graphs will be competed and I will remain on schedule.
Friday, April 24, 2009

Final Data Collection and Analysis

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The data collection process has finally come to an end!






The original project didn’t run so smoothly, and the new data was a lot easier to uncover. It was a lot easier to uncover due to the fact that my new project is an observational study, not an experimental study. To find my new data, I had to search the web and use many different car websites to compile prices of a few selected cars (mentioned in my toolbox).This took a little longer than expected, but I still have plenty of time until the due date. Since the data collection process if over, now I can begin my data analysis process. The analysis process is where I will begin to use the different techniques described in my toolbox to present the data to my audience. The data analysis process should take a lot less time than the collection process. To analyze my data I will use Microsoft Excel (www.microsoft.com/excel), and possibly a program called Minitab (http://www.minitab.com/). I have had prior experience with both and they should be fairly easy to navigate. If I do need help, I am sure one of my classmates will be there to assist me. Using these programs I will generate a box plot, bar graph, and a scatter plot; these seem to be the best visual aids for my data. I will also compute the five number summaries, and point out any interesting facts about the data. After I have done all of this, I will put it into a Power Point to present to my classmates and hopefully a few professionals. The Power Point will be constructed starting next week, and be fully completed by Friday. The class presentations are going to be on that Friday, and I think my presentation will be really interesting. I hope I do catch the attention of the media, and my project helps pave the way for other incoming statistic students.

Explaining Some Problems

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Like I had mentioned in the earlier post, my data collection process was unsuccessful. During the process when I was trying to collect data, I was attending a college Spring Orientation. This is also the reason that I do not have a post for last week. I apologize, and there should be no other interruptions for the rest of the project. The new data will be collected during our spring break, and it will be analyzed that following week. The projects are due in about two weeks, so I should have just enough time to get everything done. The new collection process should run a lot smoother, and I shouldn’t have any problems.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Project Delay

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There has been a major set back in my project. The original data collection process was unsuccessful. I had called multiple dealerships and got many excuses why they could not give me their information. Some of the dealerships told me I had to talk to the manager, and I did, but they never gave me a call back. Other dealerships said that they could not give this information due to certain privacy laws. Since the deadline for data collection is nearing, I have to switch my study from an experimental to observational study. This transition will affect my data analysis toolbox and also my final presentation.
My new project question will be; How has the prices of cars changed from 2004 to the present time? To further elaborate on this question, I will answer sub questions; What was the mean price of cars in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008? Why has the price changed? What causes these price changes? I will use cars that range in price from $15,000 to $25,000. To find the prices of cars I plan to use resources like http://www.edmounds.com/ and http://www.cars.com/. The cars that I will be using can be found in my newly updated toolbox. Since my project will be an observation study, I was informed that my presentation has to be above and beyond students that have carried out experimental studies. This means that I must locate reliable sources and use certain technologies that other students are not going to use (i.e. Minitab). I will also have to work harder on my PowerPoint, to make sure it stands out from the other students. I will also use extra graphical displays than originally planned including using z-scores (http://kochanski.org/gpk/research/misc/2005/zscores.html) and confidence intervals. Hopefully this extra work will make a great project and create some useful statistics.

Project Update

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I am still working on getting my questionnaire out to the local dealerships. After a discussion with the stats teacher, I have changed my method of collecting the data from e-mail to a phone call. A phone call is more likely to get responses than just sending an e-mail. Also I have come to the realization that I may not get every dealership to respond. I at least want to get five dealership’s information so that my data is actually useful. I plan on calling the dealerships this weekend and throughout the week. The fact that I am now calling the dealerships will make the collection process a little longer but it is worth the data.
Thursday, March 26, 2009

My project and the media

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How can I get the media interested in my project? The media is always interested in outstanding facts and useful information that is current. My topic of car sales is always written about in the auto section of the newspaper, and sometimes even talked about on the news. Luxury cars also catch the attention of many people. When I combine luxury cars and car sales, my data will be very eye-catching. In this current economy, car sales have slowed down so it will be interesting to see how it has impacted luxury car sales, not every car out there. My data will also show how the New Orleans dealerships are weathering during these tough times. This will definitely catch the local newspaper’s attention and possibly even the news.
If anything, I would want my data to be featured in the auto section of our local newspaper. To do this, I would first send an e-mail to the newspaper informing them of my data. The e-mail address can be found on their website at http://www.nola.com/t-p/. If they seemed interested, and hopefully they will, I will send them my data in presentation form. If my data is to be presented in the local newspaper, I will feel very accomplished. Other forms of media that may be interested in my project are car websites like http://www.edmounds.com/.
It would be interesting to see my own data being published in the newspaper. This will be a first in my life, and something that I would be really proud of. The media should take my project into consideration if it is correct and organized, and I believe that my statistics class will guide me through this. This is my chance to show New Orleans what our school is about, and applying our knowledge to real life situations.