Lab Report:

Variable Selection with the GSS Data Explorer

[Instructions are in brackets [ ]. Before turning in the report, delete all instructions from this template.]

[Use the following template to complete your lab report. Before turning the report in, delete unnecessary information, such as these directions and examples, and save the report with a file name using the following convention: Your Last Name_Lab Report Variable Selection (Ex: Petrak_Lab Variable Selection).]

[Identify each section of the report with a clear heading, in the following format. Note that there are 6 pages in this lab report.]

[For the italicized sub-headings, substitute your variable information in place of placeholder variable label. For example, if it says “Predictor Variable Name”change “Predictor Variable Name” to the name of your predictor variable for that variable set.]

Project Link

[Paste your project link here.]

Introduction

[Minimum one paragraph description of the General Social Survey (GSS). You can find information about the GSS at the main GSS website: http://gss.norc.org/About-The-GSS. Note that the GSS Data Explorer is just the web interface that we are using to access the data from the GSS.]

[At minimum, include in your summary: How long has the GSS been ongoing? How many participants are sampled at each wave? How is the study funded? What is the purpose of the GSS? How are data from the survey used?]

[You will integrate this summary into your final Unit 4 Lab Report.]

Variable Set A: Nominal predictor, Interval/ratio outcome

[Fill in the following table with information about your selected variables. Measurement refers to how the variable was measured (e.g. the response categories or range of the variable responses, as in Lab 1). Include the text about the Variable Detail Page, and paste the appropriate web link there.]

Outcome variable name

[Why did you choose this variable/why is it interesting? Although not required for this lab, feel free to use information and/or articles from your library research. Later labs will require some integration of your library research.]

The variable detail page for Outcome Variable Name can be found at: the web address for this variable

Predictor variable name

[Why did you choose this variable? Why do you think it will be a significant predictor of your outcome variable? Although not required for this lab, feel free to use information and/or articles from your library research. Later labs will require some integration of your library research.]

The variable detail page for Predictor Variable Name can be found at: the web address for this variable

Hypothesis

[Make a hypothesis about the relationship between these variables. Just describe the relationship you expect to see. In a later lab, we will refine this hypothesis into formal null and alternative hypotheses. Why do you expect this relationship? Although not required for this lab, feel free to use information/articles from your library research. Later labs will require some integration of your library research.]

Table 1. Variable Set A: Nominal predictor, Interval/ratio outcome

VARIABLE	SURVEY QUESTION TEXT	MEASUREMENT
Outcome: Variable Name
Predictor: Variable Name

Variable Set B: Nominal predictor, nominal outcome

[Fill in the following table with information about your selected variables. Measurement refers to how the variable was measured (e.g. the response categories or range of the variable responses, as in Lab 1). Include the text about the Variable Detail Page, and paste the appropriate web link there.]

Outcome variable name

[Why did you choose this variable/why is it interesting? Although not required for this lab, feel free to use information and/or articles from your library research. Later labs will require some integration of your library research.]

The variable detail page for Outcome Variable Name can be found at: the web address for this variable

Predictor variable name

[Why did you choose this variable? Why do you think it will be a significant predictor of your outcome variable? Although not required for this lab, feel free to use information and/or articles from your library research. Later labs will require some integration of your library research.]

The variable detail page for Predictor Variable Name can be found at: the web address for this variable

Hypothesis

[Make a hypothesis about the relationship between these variables. Just describe the relationship you expect to see. In a later lab, we will refine this hypothesis into formal null and alternative hypotheses. Why do you expect this relationship? Although not required for this lab, feel free to use information/articles from your library research. Later labs will require some integration of your library research.]

Table 2.Variable Set B: Nominal predictor, nominal outcome

VARIABLE	SURVEY QUESTION TEXT	MEASUREMENT
Outcome: Variable Name
Predictor: Variable Name

Variable Set C: Interval/ratio predictor, Nominal or interval/ratio predictor, interval/ratio outcome

[Fill in the following table with information about your selected variables. Measurement refers to how the variable was measured (e.g. the response categories or range of the variable responses, as in Lab 1). Table 3 is set up to be on its own page. Include the text about the Variable Detail Page, and paste the appropriate web link there.]

Outcome variable name

[Why did you choose this variable/why is it interesting? Although not required for this lab, feel free to use information and/or articles from your library research. Later labs will require some integration of your library research.]

The variable detail page for Outcome Variable Name can be found at: the web address for this variable

Predictor variable name

[Why did you choose this variable? Why do you think it will be a significant predictor of your outcome variable? Although not required for this lab, feel free to use information and/or articles from your library research. Later labs will require some integration of your library research.]

The variable detail page for Predictor Variable Name can be found at: the web address for this variable

Predictor variable name

[Why did you choose this variable? Why do you think it will be a significant predictor of your outcome variable? Although not required for this lab, feel free to use information and/or articles from your library research. Later labs will require some integration of your library research.]

The variable detail page for Predictor Variable Name can be found at: the web address for this variable

Hypothesis

[Make a hypothesis about the relationship between these variables. Just describe the relationship you expect to see. In a later lab, we will refine this hypothesis into formal null and alternative hypotheses. Why do you expect this relationship? Although not required for this lab, feel free to use information/articles from your library research. Later labs will require some integration of your library research.]

Table 3. Variable Set C: Interval/ratio predictor, Nominal or interval/ratio predictor, interval/ratio outcome

VARIABLE	SURVEY QUESTION TEXT	MEASUREMENT
Outcome: Variable Name
Predictor: Variable Name
Predictor: Variable Name

References

Include reference for any material that you cited in your report.