THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC DAMATURU

SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

COM114 STATISTICAL COMPUTING

TITLE: ASSIGNMENT

BY

BY

ADAMU SALEHABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR ADAM

2021/ND/CS/050

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 AUGUST 2022.

Questions

Q1(a)-Describe how to generate data using computer system?

Q1(b)-Describe how to construct questionnaire using computer system?

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Q2-Use computer system to design questionnaire and format for data collection?

Answers

1(a). Generating data

To generate, a computer system requires four main aspects of data handling: input,
processing, output, and storage. The hardware responsible for these four areas
operates as follows:

Input devices accept data in a form that the computer can use; they then send the
data to the processing unit.You can input data to a computer in many other
interesting ways, including writing, speaking, pointing, or even by just looking at
the data.

The processor, more formally known as the central processing unit (CPU), has the
electronic circuitry that manipulates input data into the information people want.
The central processing unit executes computer instructions that are specified in the
program.

Output devices show people the processed data-information in a form that they
can use. The most common output devices are computer screens and printers .
Screens can vary in their forms of display, producing text, numbers, symbols, art,
photographs, and even video-in full color.

Storage usually means secondary storage. storage. Secondary storage consists of

devices, such as diskettes, which can store data and programs outside the computer
itself. These devices supplement the computer's memory, which, as we will see,
can hold data and programs only temporarily.

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Word processing software allows you to input data such as an essay, save it, revise
and re-save it, and print it whenever you wish. The input device, in this case, is a
keyboard, which you use to type in the original essay and any changes you want to
make to it. All computers, large and small, must have a central processing unit
within the personal computer housing. The central processing unit under the
direction of the word processing software accepts the data you input through the
keyboard. Processed data from your personal computer is usually output in two
forms: on a screen and eventually by a printer. As you key in the essay on the
keyboard, it appears on the screen in front of you. After you examine the essay on
the screen, make changes, and determine that it is acceptable, you can print the
essay on the printer. Your secondary storage device in this case is a diskette, a
magnetic medium that stores the essay until it is needed again.

1(b).Questionnaire construction

Questionnaire construction refers to the design of a questionnaire to gather

statistically useful information about a given topic. When properly constructed and
responsibly administered, questionnaires can provide valuable data about any
given subject.

Questionnaires

Questionnaires are frequently used in quantitative marketing research and social

research. They are a valuable method of collecting a wide range of information
from a large number of individuals, often referred to as respondents.

What is often referred to as "adequate questionnaire construction" is critical to the

success of a survey. Inappropriate questions, incorrect ordering of questions,
incorrect scaling, or a bad questionnaire format can make the survey results

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valueless, as they may not accurately reflect the views and opinions of the
participants.

Different methods can be useful for checking a questionnaire and making sure it is
accurately capturing the intended information. Initial advice may include:

consulting subject-matter experts

using questionnaire construction guidelines to inform drafts, such as the Tailored

Design Method,[1] or those produced by National Statistical Organisations.

Empirical tests also provide insight into the quality of the questionnaire. This can
be done by:

conducting cognitive interviewing. By asking a sample of potential-respondents

about their interpretation of the questions and use of the questionnaire, a researcher
can

carrying out a small pretest of the questionnaire, using a small subset of target
respondents. Results can inform a researcher of errors such as missing questions,
or logical and procedural errors.

estimating the measurement quality of the questions. This can be done for instance
using test-retest,[2] quasi-simplex,[3] or mutlitrait-multimethod models.[4]

predicting the measurement quality of the question. This can be done using the
software Survey Quality Predictor (SQP).[5]

Types of questions

Closed-ended questions – Respondents' answers are limited to a fixed set of

responses.

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Yes/no questions – The respondent answers with a "yes" or a "no".

Multiple choice – The respondent has several option from which to choose.

Scaled questions – Responses are graded on a continuum (e.g.: rate the appearance
of the product on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most preferred
appearance). Examples of types of scales include the Likert scale, semantic
differential scale, and rank-order scale. (See scale for further information)

Matrix questions – Identical response categories are assigned to multiple questions.

The questions are placed one under the other, forming a matrix with response
categories along the top and a list of questions down the side. This is an efficient
use of page space and the respondents' time.

Open-ended questions – No options or predefined categories are suggested. The

respondent supplies their own answer without being constrained by a fixed set of
possible responses. Examples include:

Completely unstructured – For example, "What is your opinion on

questionnaires?"

Word association – Words are presented and the respondent mentions the first
word that comes to mind.

Sentence completion – Respondents complete an incomplete sentence. For

example, "The most important consideration in my decision to buy a new house
is..."

Story completion – Respondents complete an incomplete story.

Picture completion – Respondents fill-in an empty speech balloon.

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Thematic apperception test – Respondents explain a picture or create a story about
what they think is happening in the picture.

Contingency question – A question that is answered only if the respondent gives a

particular response to a previous question. This avoids asking questions of people
that do not apply to them (for example, asking men if they have ever been
pregnant).

2. Questionnaire Design |

Your questionnaire can include open-ended or closed-ended questions or a

combination of both.

Using closed-ended questions limits your responses, while open-ended questions

enable a broad range of answers. You’ll need to balance these considerations with
your available time and resources.

Closed-ended questions

Closed-ended, or restricted-choice, questions offer respondents a fixed set of

choices to select from. Closed-ended questions are best for collecting data on
categorical or quantitative variables.

Categorical variables can be nominal or ordinal. Quantitative variables can be

interval or ratio. Understanding the type of variable and level of measurement
means you can perform appropriate statistical analyses for generalizable results.

Examples of closed-ended questions for different variables

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Nominal variables include categories that can’t be ranked, such as race or
ethnicity. This includes binary or dichotomous categories.

It’s best to include categories that cover all possible answers and are mutually
exclusive. There should be no overlap between response items.

In binary or dichotomous questions, you’ll give respondents only two options to

choose from.

Example: Nominal variables

What is your race?

White

Black or African American

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

Are you satisfied with the current work-from-home policies?

Yes

No

Ordinal variables include categories that can be ranked. Consider how wide or
narrow a range you’ll include in your response items, and their relevance to your
respondents.

Example: Ordinal variables

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What is your age?

15 or younger

16–35

36–60

61–75

76 or older

Likert-type questions collect ordinal data using rating scales with 5 or 7 points.

Example: Likert-type questions

How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your online shopping experience today?

Very dissatisfied

Somewhat dissatisfied

Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

Somewhat satisfied

Very satisfied.

Pros and cons of closed-ended questions

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Well-designed closed-ended questions are easy to understand and can be answered
quickly. However, you might still miss important answers that are relevant to
respondents. An incomplete set of response items may force some respondents to
pick the closest alternative to their true answer. These types of questions may also
miss out on valuable detail.To solve these problems, you can make questions
partially closed-ended, and include an open-ended option where respondents can
fill in their own answer.

Open-ended questions

Open-ended, or long-form, questions allow respondents to give answers in their

own words. Because there are no restrictions on their choices, respondents can
answer in ways that researchers may not have otherwise considered. For example,
respondents may want to answer “multiracial” for the question on race rather than
selecting from a restricted list.

Example: Open-ended questions

How do you feel about open science?

How would you

describe your
personality?

In your opinion,
what is the biggest
obstacle for
productivity in
remote work?

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Open-ended questions have a few downsides.

They require more time and effort from respondents, which may deter them from
completing the questionnaire.

Most closed-ended questions can be turned into open-ended questions with a few
minor changes. Here’s an example: on the left- hand side, you have closed-ended
questions; on the right-hand side, each question has been tweaked into an open-
ended version that allows respondents to elaborate further.

All the closed questions in the left column can be answered with a one-word
answer, specifically Yes or No.

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