Instructions for Final Course Project
The final project consists of two assignments: 1) a group oral presentation and 2) a data science report which is to be written and handed-in individually.
Group Oral Presentation (Due: Wednesday, October 17th)
Requirements
| · Use Power Point | · Must be at least 10 minutes |
| · Each group member must present | · Can include videos, music and other aids |
| · Include visuals | · Be prepared to answer questions from the audience |
Instructions for the Presentation
- Introduce the scenario
- Describe the scenario
- Give a description of the project
- Walk the audience through your concept map
- Explain how your group developed the research questions
- If you changesyour questions during the course of the project, explain your reasoning
- The Data
- Introduce your data set – purpose, origin, #of variables, #of observations
- If you made changes to the original dataset, explain your reasoning
- Discuss the variables used for the final analysis
- Describe any data conversions that were made
- Were there any problems with the dataset/variables (e.g. missing data, duplicates, etc.)? If so, discuss
- Describe the final data set
- Did you use additional data to help you address the scenario? If so, discuss
- Data Insights
- Answer youfinal research questions—what did you learn from the data analysis?
- Summarize and discuss the results
- Use visuals to describe the data—patterns, relationships, trends, etc.
- Final Recommendations for Clyde/Governor Jackson
- Based on your data analysis, what are your recommendations?
- What are some suggestions for future research, data analysis?
- What other data would have been useful?
- Data Science Discussion
- What did you learn about the data science process?
- What did you like? What didn’t you enjoy?
Individual Data Science Report (Due: Friday, October 19th by 11:59PM via email)
Requirements
| Spacing: no less than 1.5 | Pages: min. 5 pages, not including codebook or references |
| Font: Calibri or Times New Roman, no larger than 12 | Margins: no larger than 1 inch |
| Visuals: no less than 5 | |
Instructions for the Report
The Data Science Report is a written version of the project. Students are allowed to collaborate, but the final report must be written individually. Students are also allowed to “go beyond” what is presented by their groups.
The Data Science Report should include the following sections:
- Introduction
- Give an overview of the issue
- Describe the problem and the purpose of the paper
- Include the final concept map and discuss how those ideas led to the research questions
- Include the research questions in the narrative
- Data Wrangling and Management
- Describe the data set (e.g. what is the purpose, number of observations) and the variables
- If you used other data, discuss “why”. Where did you find the data?
- Describe any data conversions that were made
- Were there any problems with the dataset/variables (e.g. missing data, duplicates, etc.)? If so, discuss
- Discuss the final data set, including the variables you are using to address the final research questions
- Results and Recommendations
- Answer your research questions-What insights did you learn from the data?
- Include data visualizations to help support your findings/insights. Discuss patterns, trends, etc.
- What story does the data tell?
- Summarize and discuss the results of the analysis
- What recommendations would you give Clyde/Gov. Jackson?
- Discussion
- Summarize the purpose of the paper/issue (again)
- Discuss any suggestions for future analysis/research?
- Appendix
- References
- Students can included non-cited references
*Important Guidelines: These are guiding questions to help you craft the report. Your report should include each section mentioned above, however the narrative should flow and be coherent. Points will be deducted if you answer each question in a rigid manner. Students are encouraged to go beyond the guidelines provided.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is the final project due?
The group presentations are scheduled for the last day of class, Wednesday, October 17th. This class is mandatory for all students, and points will be deducted if you arrive to class late.
The final independent paper is due Friday, October 19thby 11:59PM. Late papers will not be accepted.
- Will you read drafts of the final paper or go through group presentations prior to the due date?
The professor has set aside the class on Monday, October 15th to answer any final questions, prepare for the group presentations and review any work. If you want a draft of your paper to be reviewed, you must send it via email (stephy.miller@gmail.com) to the professor by Friday, October 12th.
- Can we write the final paper as a group, since the scenario and data is the same for both deliverables?
No, the final paper is to be written independently.The professor expects some commonalities in narratives and visuals within each group. For example, I expect for research questions to be the same across all group members.
You are required to collaborate with your group members, and to present the very best collective ideas during the presentation. However, I understand that there may be instances where group members will have different ideas and approaches to the assignments; if that is the case, be fully prepared to substantiate your differences. You are welcome to use your own approaches and ideas for the final paper, and you are free to include additional research questions, datasets, data analyses and insights, etc.
