In: Psychology
explain how data are to be analyzed and interpreted
Any data is a raw material. Once you get the raw material, it has to be sorted well, planned and thought about the next few steps. There should be a plan of action as in what are you intending to do with the data. Without a plan and a purpose, it is of no use. Once the plan and purpose has been established, the analyzing the data becomes easier as you have a goal. An experimental data, could be analyzed using statistics. There are several statistical analyses that are available. A statistic is a method to understand how many in a population has been affected or disaffected. It gives us the percentage, or a range through which we can infer. There many of the experimental data goes through a statistical analysis. Without which it is impossible to analyze. Similarly, in a qualitative method, data are analyzed using several techniques like discourse analysis, conversational analysis etc…to understand the outcome.
The data’s have to be analyzed directionally. They shouldn’t be biased, or inconsistent. The methods of analysis have to be established without a flaw. There shouldn’t be any sort of errors. Should be thorough with the subject matter in order to formulate the right strategy. These are few main pre-requisite in analysis. Once the analysis is over, the data is all set for interpretation. The way the data is analyzed, it becomes the guiding pole for interpretation. If the analysis is wrong, the interpretation will also be wrong. Therefore, it is must to analyze the data with the right conditions. Interpretation is the result of the data. How are you going to infer the result. What are you going to do with the result. These certain things are carefully overlooked by the interpretation. Interpretations form the conclusions of a data. It brings out the essence of the study. Therefore, it is important to plan and establish the goals well, in order to analyze and interpret the data.