Unit 3: Final Project and Presentations

Project Overview

The goal of this project is for you to apply the regression analysis techniques covered in the course to address a real-world question. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your creativity and analytical skills by synthesizing everything you have learned throughout the semester into a project that you are proud to present.

Rubric

The Question

Your question for Project 3 should be formulated as: What is the association between $x$ (an explanatory variable) and $y$ (some outcome)?

The Data

For this project, you will use the convenience store data (shopper_info, store_info, gtin) to select your $y$, and choose one of the two additional datasets (census data or weather data) to choose your $x$.

  • Option 1: Convenience store data combined with Demographic data from the US Census
  • Option 2: Convenience store data combined with Weather data from NOAA

Bringing It Together

Here’s how to approach Project 3:

  1. Select one of the two options above.

  2. Identify an outcome $y$ from the convenience store data.

  3. Choose control variables (e.g., population density from the Census data or precipitation from the weather data) which will serve as your explanatory variable(s), $x$.

  4. You are responsible for merging or joining your datasets, ensuring you identify and use the common unit of analysis in each dataset and aggregate data as necessary.

  5. You are expected to use regression analysis to address your research question. The requirements include:

    1. Present summary statistics of your data, highlighting the number of observations.
    2. Conduct a univariate regression analysis.
    3. Perform a multivariate regression analysis by including one additional variable in your regression equation from (2).
    4. Thoroughly explain your analysis and how it answers your research question.
    5. Discuss any assumptions and identify limitations in your analysis.
    6. Present and interpret your results clearly, explaining the implications of your findings and using appropriate visualizations to communicate these results.

The Presentation (80 points)

Overall presentation expectations (20 points total)

  • Duration: Your presentation should be 6-9 minutes long. (5 points)
  • Content and Engagement: Ensure your presentation is engaging, follows a logical structure, and cohesively answers your stated question. (5 points)
  • Visualizations: Use well-formatted and relevant visualizations suited to your analysis and presentation. (10 points)

Introduction, Background, and Question (15 points total)

  • Introduction: Start with who you are and the organization interested in your question. Define your audience (e.g., business executives, policy makers, consumers). (5 points)
  • Background and Question: Provide necessary background information and clearly state your research question. (10 points)

Data and Analysis (35 points total)

  • Data Description: Detail the sources of your data, any modifications made, and how you integrated different datasets. (10 points)
  • Summary Statistics and Visualizations: Provide and explain the summary statistics and visualizations of your data. (5 points)
  • Analysis Discussion: Describe your analysis assumptions, limitations, and present your findings visually and descriptively. (20 points)

Discussion/Conclusion (10 points total)

  • Conclusions Drawn from Analysis: Explain how your analysis answers your research question and discuss the key takeaways for your intended audience. (10 points)

The Report/Online Submission (40 points)

You and your partner are required to produce a written version of this analysis for online publication on your designated website. This written report should encompass all elements discussed in your presentation, effectively serving as a detailed document to accompany and support the presentation. In addition, include your R code to provide a comprehensive view of your analytical processes. The written portion of the assignment is due later, allowing you the opportunity to refine it based on feedback received during the oral presentation in class.

Grading for the report will focus on several key areas:

  1. Code Accuracy and Explanation: Is your code correct and adequately explained? Use comments within your code to clarify each step of your analysis. Generate an R log file using the sink() command and append it to your report as an appendix. (15 points)

  2. Readability and Utility: Is your report clear and informative? While the quality of your research question is not being assessed here, the clarity with which you present your findings is crucial. Your report should be understandable and actionable for your intended audience. (10 points)

  3. Feedback Incorporation: Does your report effectively incorporate the feedback you received after your presentation? Your ability to integrate suggestions and improvements will be evaluated. (10 points)

Peer Evaluation (15 points)

Each group will be required to provide feedback for three other groups in the class. This feedback process is an essential component of the project, as it encourages constructive criticism and fosters a collaborative learning environment. To facilitate this, each group will complete a Google Form designed specifically for peer evaluations.

Instructions:

  1. Complete the Google Form: You must answer every question on the Google Form. The form is structured to cover various aspects of the presentations you will evaluate.

  2. Fair Scoring: You cannot assign full scores in every category for each group. Be thoughtful and provide a balanced evaluation that reflects the strengths and areas for improvement in each presentation.

  3. Be Respectful: It’s important to be respectful and constructive in your comments.

  4. Impact on Grades: The peer feedback you provide will not be factored into the group’s final grade on the presentation. The purpose of this exercise is to give you an opportunity to critically engage with your peers’ work and to offer them valuable insights from an outsider’s perspective.

A link to the Google Form is also available on Canvas and must be completed by the due date. Please ensure that you dedicate enough time to watch each assigned presentation thoroughly before completing the evaluation form.

Your participation in the peer evaluation process is highly valued and contributes significantly to the learning experience in this course.