Statistical Analysis Techniques

Project Introduction

Years ago when I began my foray into the data industry, I had a vastly different idea of what statistics are than I do now. I often confused the metrics for data summary (i.e. mean, percentiles, variance, etc.) as being statistical analysis. I soon realized that such values describe datasets but that statistics were much more about using those values, combined with tests and distributions, to extract insights from data and answer business questions.

While still a novice with statistical analysis, I've come a long way in my understanding of and ability to implement statistical techniques. There's a long way to go but statistics fascinate and excite me. I'm eager to continue learning and implementing statistical concepts and build a better foundation in my work.

Situation

My final undergraduate semester at Weber State University has been filled with statistics. From looking under the hood of distributions, formulas, and tests to utilizing them in software packages for analysis, the training has been comprehensive and eye opening. The exciting pieces from the semester have been the mini-projects where I've been able to implement statistics to find insights.

This portfolio project shares many of the mini-projects from my spring 2022 coursework. The datasets range in subject from economics to biology, and vary in their format, allowing me to practice different techniques.

Task

Each of these mini-projects share common components: an introduction of the dataset and key questions; graphical analysis of the data; statistical analysis of the key question; review of necessary assumptions of the statistical technique used; and a description of the scope of inference (to what extent can our findings be applied to other situations).

Within each mini-project linked via the components below, you'll find a link to a GitHub repository with an R file containing the analysis code and references to the dataset source and other relevant information.

Action

Each mini-project assignment required a written report stating the findings using the sections as outlined above. Much of that report is included in each component link below. The core action for these were to address the key questions, like, "What evidence is there to suggest sun tolerance is affected by sunscreen treatments?"

Result

These mini-projects were designed to give me exposure to statistical techniques and test my ability to implement them appropriately for the dataset in question. I now feel moderate confidence in my ability to analyze similar datasets using these statistical approaches and feel motivated to further learn and master additional tools.