← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8

Investigating a dataset from question to conclusion

The order of a data investigation: ask a question, prepare the data, use formulas and sort or filter, chart it, then conclude, predict and report limits.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Analysing and Visualising Data — Module 53

Understanding Investigating a dataset from question to conclusion in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8

What it does: Cleaning the data comes before the formula. Taking out the blank row means the average is worked out from complete data. Choosing the columns that match the question keeps the investigation focused and stops unneeded data from getting in the way. Ask first, prepare the data, use formulas and sort or filter, chart it, then conclude. Clean the data first. Duplicates and blanks can make a SUM or an AVERAGE wrong. A line chart shows change over time. A pie chart shows parts of a whole at one point in time. Predictions are estimates. Reporting limits shows how far the data can be trusted.

Common mistakes: The columns chosen must help answer the question. To see if installs rise over time you need Year and Installs, not Suburb and Roof. The question asks for the top state, so the formula must find the largest value with MAX. MIN finds the smallest.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 331–360) and word search (Modules 331–411).

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Each concept is reinforced from every angle — learned, then applied, then tested.

Learning

Duo

A student wants to investigate solar panels. Which is the best first step?

Write a clear question the data can answerMake a chart straight away

Matches

Draw a pie chart of installs for each year from 2015 to 2024

↓

A pie chart shows parts of a whole, not change over time. A line chart should be used to show a trend across years.

Applying

Meanings

Term

question > prepare > analyse > chart > conclude

Meaning

The order of a data investigation: ask a question, prepare the data, use formulas and sort or filter, chart it, then conclude, predict and report limits.

Practice

Question: Are solar installs rising?

Testing

Gaps

question >

Check Answer

Spots

1Question: Do installs rise?

2Use columns: Suburb, Roof

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Quick Questions

1. A student wants to investigate solar panels. Which is the best first step?

A. Make a chart straight away

B. Write a clear question the data can answer ✓

Every investigation starts with a question. It tells you which columns to use and which chart to make.

2. Which order is correct for a data investigation?

A. Question, prepare, analyse, chart, conclude ✓

B. Chart, conclude, question, prepare, analyse

Ask first, prepare the data, use formulas and sort or filter, chart it, then conclude.

3. Question: 'Which state had the most solar installations in 2023?' Which columns do you need?

A. State and Installations 2023 ✓

B. Every column in the dataset

Choose only the columns that help answer the question. Extra columns make the data harder to read.

4. Your solar dataset has two rows for the same suburb and a blank cell in Installations. When should you fix this?

A. In the prepare step, before using formulas ✓

B. After you have made the chart

Clean the data first. Duplicates and blanks can make a SUM or an AVERAGE wrong.

5. Which step uses SUM, AVERAGE, sort and filter on the solar data?

A. Question

B. Analyse ✓

Formulas and sort or filter are used in the analyse step to find the answer in the numbers.

Match the Pairs

question > prepare > analyse > chart > conclude → The order of a data investigation, from asking a question through to drawing a conclusion

=SUMIF(B2:B9,">=2020",C2:C9) → Analyse step: adds up the solar installations from 2020 onwards to help answer the question

Prepare step: remove a row with a missing value before calculating, so the answer is not affected → Delete row 7 (blank installs) then =AVERAGE(C2:C9)

Check each step against the question: only use the columns that help answer it → Question: Did installs rise each year? Use columns Year and Installs only

Draw a pie chart of installs for each year from 2015 to 2024 → A pie chart shows parts of a whole, not change over time. A line chart should be used to show a trend across years.

Conclusion: Installs will keep rising forever, so there is no need to mention limits. → The conclusion ignores the limits of the data. It has only a few years of data, so a prediction cannot be certain.

Key Term

question > prepare > analyse > chart > conclude

The order of a data investigation: ask a question, prepare the data, use formulas and sort or filter, chart it, then conclude, predict and report limits.

Fill in the Blanks

1. question > prepare > analyse > chart > conclude

Hint: Type the step that comes after asking the question, where you clean and organise the solar data.

2. Step 3: analyse =AVERAGE(C2:C20)

Hint: Type the function that finds the mean size of the solar installations in column C.

3. Step 3: analyse =SUMIF(B2:B20,"NSW",C2:C20)

Hint: Type the function that adds up values in column C only when column B matches a condition.

4. Step 3: analyse =MAX(C2:C20)-MIN(C2:C20)

Hint: Type the function that finds the smallest value, so the formula gives the range of the installation sizes.

5. Step 5: conclude and report limits

Hint: Type the word for the weaknesses of the data and prediction that you report at the end of the investigation.

Spot the Error

Question 1

A Question: Do installs rise?

B Use columns: Suburb, Roof

C Sort: Year, oldest first

D Chart: line of Installs

Line B — The columns chosen must help answer the question. To see if installs rise over time you need Year and Installs, not Suburb and Roof.

Question 2

A Question: Which state is top?

B Columns: State, Installs

C =MIN(B2:B9)

D Chart: column by State

Line C — The question asks for the top state, so the formula must find the largest value with MAX. MIN finds the smallest.

Question 3

A 1 Ask a question

B 2 Conclude and predict

C 3 Analyse with formulas

D 4 Chart the results

E 5 Conclude and report limits

Line B — Step 2 must be preparing the data. You cannot conclude or predict before you have prepared, analysed and charted the data.

Question 4

A Question: Is solar cool?

B Columns: Year, Installs

C Sort: Year, oldest first

D Chart: line of Installs

Line A — An investigation starts with a question the data can answer. 'Is solar cool?' is an opinion. It should be something like 'Do installs rise?'.

Question 5

A Question: Do installs rise?

B Chart: line of Year, Installs

C Trend: goes up each year

D Limit: none, so it is certain

Line D — Every dataset has limits, such as a short time span. Reporting limits means saying predictions are not certain. It should name a real limit like the small number of years.

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