Title, Author, and Summary of the Article
The article selected for the discussion prompt titled “Performing Inferential Statistics Prior to Data Collection” was written by David Trafimow and Justin A. MacDonald in the year 2017. The research is about how inferential statistics allows researchers to make inferences or predictions from that data and how they can make informed decisions about the sample size and other aspects of the study design.
The authors of the present research state that performing inferential statistics prior to data collection involves specifying how “close” the researchers desire the group to be to their corresponding population as this procedure enables researchers to make predictions and draw conclusions based on their data. Moreover, inferential statistics also means how “confident” researchers of the study wish to be to understand the larger population from which the sample is taken.
Inferential Statistics Used in the Study
The inferential statistics approach prior to data collection that is used in the article is a limited application approach that can be used in specific research contexts. The procedure that this paper proposes is an alternative procedure that is performed before data collection rather than afterwards. It serves two significant purposes that include estimating population parameters from sample statistics prior to data collection and testing hypotheses to draw conclusions and make informed decisions about the sample populations (Trafimow & MacDonald, 2017).
Reason for Using Specific Inferential Statistics Type
The reason why researchers have chosen this specific inferential statistical procedure may be to assess relationships between variables using sample populations and to study the probable behavior of a population. This is how researchers can use inductive reasoning in the research to move from the specific to the general to collect the data contained in the sample before its collection.
Results of the Study
By using inferential statistics in the study, researchers find the results that sample size can be determined to meet the specifications while deriving an equation concerning confidence and closeness in the research, regardless of the number of groups in the sample population. However, this approach is not widely adopted and is an unconventional approach but it can be used to make guesses and draw conclusions about the larger populations.
Personal Opinion and Conclusion
In summary, inferential statistics rely on unbiased and random sampling methods to ensure valid statistical generalizations and inferences. It is not a common practice in the research contexts so in my opinion, conventional approach is to perform inferential statistics after data collection to make predictions and draw conclusions based on the collected data.
References
Trafimow, D., & MacDonald, J. A. (2017). Performing inferential statistics prior to data collection. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 77(2), 204–219.
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