Portfolio Assignment utilizing the SPSS…

Assignment 1: Research Guidelines
Complete the following assignment by filling in all pertinent areas of research. You will need to utilize SPSS for this assignment. You can find sample information from Week 1 lesson and GSS website. You may complete this assignment using the variables and topic which you have chosen for your Final Portfolio Project. You will then be able to follow this as a guide as well as a check-point with your instructor. It is essential that you read through all of the feedback regardless of your score. You will be required to submit:

An SPSS output file with this assignment for credit;
This word document with blanks filled and SPSS outputs inserted. Throughout the assignment you will see places where your tables, charts, and graphs can be placed.

You may need to go back through the document to address formatting issues that may shift as you begin to input your data. Points will be deducted for sloppiness. Please treat this as a professional outline used for a proposal. Use a different, but legible, color font for your responses.
This assignment is to completed and submitted no later than the Sunday of week 3 by 11:55pm ET. This assignment is worth 60 points. Save the word file as follows [your last name_SOCI332_A1] and submit it to the dropbox for feedback.

My Purpose (research question) (5 pts)

My research questions is: ______________________________________­. To achieve this goal, I investigate how ________ (enter here what your Independent Variables measure) affects ___ (enter here what your Dependent Variable measures)

All About GSS 2012 data (5 pts)

Who are the participants? ___________________________________________________________________________
What population does the sample represent? ­­­­­___________________________________________________________________________
Who is funding the research? ___________________________________________________
When was the data collected? __________________________________________________
How was my data collected? ___________________________________________________

Variables (you have expected to have only one DV and a minimum of one IV. (10 pts)

My IV(s): if you have multiple IVs, provide information for EACH IV using the format below.
IV Variable name in SPSS: _______
IV Question (as asked to the respondent verbatim) ______________________________

---

IV Answer categories: _______________________________________________________

---

IV Level of Measurement___________________
My DV: only ONE DV is required for your final portfolio
DV variable name in SPSS: __________________
DV Question (as asked to the respondent verbatim)- ______________________________

---

DV Answer categories: _________________________________________________________

---

DV Level of Measurement: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­______________

Frequency Tables (10 pts)

Run frequencies for each variable listed above. Summarize your findings in a paragraph or two below. Cite numbers in the frequency tables to support your conclusion. Be sure to insert your tables over into this document.
[Insert SPSS frequency tables here]

Graphs and Charts (10 pts)

Run the appropriate graphs/charts for each of your variables listed above. Summarize your findings briefly in a paragraph or two. Cite numbers in the graph/charts to support your conclusion. Include a title on each of your charts and other pertinent labels you feel necessary.
[Insert SPSS graphs/charts here]

Choose two of the following techniques (10 pts)

Choose two of the following statistical techniques to investigate the issue/topic you are considering in more depth. Summarize your findings and copy/paste all relevant output data here in this file.

Option 1: Running measures of central tendency and dispersion

[Insert SPSS output here]

Option 2: Recoding

[Insert the following items: SPSS syntax for the recoding process; the frequency table for the original variable; and the frequency table for the recoded variable]

Option 3: Index construction

[Insert the following items: SPSS syntax for the index construction procedure; the frequency table for the original variable(s); and the frequency table for the index variable]

Crosstab Table(s) (10 pts)

Outline a research hypothesis regarding your variables. List below: (if you have two IVs, you need to have two sets of hypotheses using the following format)
Research hypothesis: _____________________________________________________
Null hypothesis: ­­­­­­­­­­__________________________________________________________
Create a crosstab table with the variables that you have chosen. If you have two IVs, you need to have two separate crosstabs. Be sure that column percentages are included in the table. Please provide a detailed overview of your bivariate analysis,
Your DV, _____________, will go into the ROW.
Your IV, _____________, will go into the COLUMN.
[Paste crosstab table(s) here]
Present your findings here in a paragraph or two. As part of it, address whether your research hypothesis is correct. Compute the epsilon and explain.