Page 1 of 2 PADM 702 Page 1 of 2 RESEARCH PAPER: DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS ASSIGNMEN

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PADM 702
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RESEARCH PAPER: DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
OVERVIEW
A simple way to analyze fiscal data over time is via descriiptive statistics. Descriiptive Statistics
refer to the analysis, summary, and presentation of findings related to a data set derived from a
sample or entire population. Descriiptive statistics comprise three main categories – Frequency
Distribution, Measures of Central Tendency, and Measures of Variability. Although descriiptive
statistics may provide information regarding a data set, they do not allow for conclusions to be
made based on the data analysis but, rather, provide a descriiption of the data being analyzed.
Value of Descriiptive Statistics
Descriiptive statistics allow for the ease of data visualization. They allow for data to be presented
in a meaningful and understandable way, which, in turn, allows for a simplified interpretation of
the data set in question. Raw data would be difficult to analyze, and trend and pattern
determination may be challenging to perform. In addition, raw data makes it challenging to
visualize what the data is showing. Descriiptive statistics are used to summarize complex
quantitative data.
Consider the following example: Assume that you are looking at 15 years of state sales tax data.
To find the overall distribution of the sales tax data, descriiptive statistics must be used. Using
raw data and making some sense of it would be challenging. Furthermore, descriiptive statistics
allow for a data set to be summarized and presented through a combination of tabulated and
graphical descriiptions and a discussion of the results found.
INSTRUCTIONS
For this assignment, students will compute and interpret three descriiptive statistics — (1) the
mean. (2) the standard deviation, and (3) the coefficient of variation — and write a four-page
memo stating their findings.
Submit research paper as a research memo:
To:
From:
Subject:
The paper content should consist of:
(1) At least two of pages describing the value of the mean, standard deviation, and
coefficient of variation and how they can be used to analyze revenues.
(2) A table of computational findings using the Revenue Analysis Template.
(3) Analysis of the coefficient of variation of two sets of data based on the computations.
PADM 702
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Use the Revenue Analysis Template to present the data in your research memo.
Also, report the means and standard deviations as whole dollars.
Interpreting Descriiptive Statistics
How to analyze the mean and standard deviation and compare the two data sets
The standard deviation measures how far the data points (monthly taxes) are from the mean. The
less spread, the smaller the standard deviation, thus one can have more confidence that the
collected monthly taxes will be parallel. The more the spread, the larger the standard deviation,
thus one can have less confidence that the collected monthly taxes will be parallel.
An analysis of the standard deviation can be somewhat complex. However, for this assignment,
you will just answer the following research questions:
 Which set of data shows highest variation and which shows lowest variation? Which
state shows the highest and lowest variations in total income and total sales tax
collections?
 Which state’s tax collections are more consistent and fluctuates the least?
Assigned readings are not going to help you analyze primary data. You must learn to do that
yourself by researching how to analyze data. The author(s) have not seen your data, so they
cannot help with the interpretation.
The paper must be in current APA format with 1-inch margins and 12-pt Times New Roman
font. You must also include a title page and reference page. You must include citations to a
sufficient number of appropriate professional, scholarly, or other appropriate sources to fully
support your assertions and conclusions (which will likely require more than the minimum
number of citations); each paper must include a minimum of 5 sources, not including the course
textbooks, assigned readings, and the Bible.
Review Watch: Statistics: Comparing Standard Deviations Without Calculation
Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited and may result in failure of the assignment, failure
of the course, and/or removal from the program. It is your responsibility to ensure that you fully
understand what constitutes the various forms of plagiarism and to avoid all forms of
plagiarism.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.