Stats 110

Project 1: Designing and Analyzing a Random Sample

In this project, you will investigate a research question that can be answered by taking a random sample from a well-defined population and analyzing one variable from the collected data. If you work in a research lab that collects data, I encourage you to see if any of the data from your lab would be appropriate for this project. Here are some examples of projects that past students have done:

  • Do a majority of words in Webster's new pocket dictionary have Wikipedia come up as the first entry in a Google search?
  • On average, is Trader Joe's cheaper than Safeway?
  • Are more than 90% of recipes in a vegetarian cookbook are actually vegetarian?

You may work in a team of up to 3 people to collect the data, but you must write up your report individually. If you are working with others, it might be a good idea to collect several variables so that each person can analyze a different variable.

Here is a Quarto template for your report. Note that you will have to open this in RStudio.

A grading rubric is available on Canvas.

Project 1 is due Monday, November 6 at 10:30 AM on Canvas.

Project 2: Designing and Analyzing a Randomized Experiment

In this project, you will investigate a research question that can be answered by randomly assigning units to one of two groups and comparing the two groups using the methods we have learned. Here are some examples of projects that past students have done:

  • Does soaking popcorn kernels in water first reduce number of duds?
  • Does tapping on the top of a soda can reduce the amount of fizz?
  • Are males more likely to open a door for a female than for a male?
  • Can people memorize objects better if they are shown the objects in pictures or in words?
  • Does a high-carb meal before an athletic event improve performance?
  • Is recall affected by whether or not you take notes on a computer or by hand?

You may work in a team of up to 3 people to collect the data, but you must write up your report individually.

Here is a Quarto template for your report. Note that you will have to open this in RStudio.

A grading rubric is available on Canvas.

Project 2 is due Friday, December 1 at 10:30 AM on Canvas.

Poster Presentation

Instead of a final exam, you will turn one of your projects into a poster and present it at a poster session to be held on Thursday, December 14, 2023, 3:30 - 6:30 PM in CERAS 300.

Your poster will need to be printed on 24" x 36" paper. You may select all the most basic printing options (e.g., matte paper, no lamination, not mounted). There are a few options for printing:

  • If you upload a 24" x 36" PDF of your poster to Canvas before Monday, December 11 at noon, we will print the poster for you and bring it to the poster session. This is the only free option. If you are late, then you must arrange your own printing.
  • Copy Factory at 3929 El Camino Real: $29.46 with Stanford discount (use coupon code STANFORD at checkout)
  • FedEx at 249 California Ave: $34.05 with Stanford discount (e-mail poster to usa5101@fedex.com and place order in person, showing your student ID)
  • Staples at 700 Menlo Park: $36.05
  • Tech Desk on campus: $50 plus tax
You should allow for at least 2 days turnaround time. Please let us know if we can help with pick-up.

The last week of classes will be devoted to helping you make visually appealing posters.

Here is a poster template that you can use, although you are welcome to use your own. (This is adapted from a template made by Nic Fishman.)

Here is the grading rubric we will use:

  • Abstract (4 points): Does the abstract concisely summarize the main points of the project? Does it entice the reader to want to learn more about the project?
  • Content (4 points): Does the text provide a comprehensive, but not overwhelming, description of the entire project? Are the technical aspects described correctly?
  • Visuals (4 points): Are there correct and visually appealing graphics made using ggplot2?
  • Organization (4 points): Is the poster organized, easy to follow, and visually appealing?
  • Presentation (4 points): Were you able to give a good "elevator pitch" for your project to the audience? Were you able to answer questions that came up?
  • Participation (4 points): Did you arrive on time to the poster session and stay engaged for the entire time? Did you complete the 4 assigned peer reviews? (Up to 1 point of extra credit will be awarded for excellent reviews.)

You must upload a PDF of your poster before the poster session on Canvas. Note that you must separately arrange to have your poster printed before the session.

Click here for the Google Form to submit peer reviews.