← VCE Data Analytics U3O2

Research question feature: measurability of data requirements

A research question is measurable when it can be answered with data that is counted, measured or coded, using clear variables, units or categories, not opinion words.

Part of: VCE Data Analytics - U3O2 - Analysis and Design — Module 5, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10 — Acquiring and Validating Data — Module 5

Understanding Research question feature: measurability of data requirements in VCE Data Analytics U3O2

What it does: The listed categories (bus, train, car, walk) let each response be coded and counted, so the question can be answered with data. Both variables are identified and each has a unit (hours, marks out of 100), so numeric data can be collected for both. Hours of sleep can be measured in a clear unit. 'Well enough' is an opinion that cannot be measured. 'How many' leads to a count. 'Nice' is an opinion word with no clear data to collect. A measurable variable needs a unit such as seconds. 'Pretty fast' is vague and cannot be recorded as data. 'Best' depends on personal opinion. 'Average' can be calculated from numeric data.

Common mistakes: 'Good' is an opinion word and cannot be counted or measured. The variable should be a measurable quantity such as 'hours of sleep'. 'Nice habit' is an opinion that cannot be counted, measured or coded. A measurable question asks something countable, such as 'How many students walk?'.

Class: _____________________  ·  Name: _____________________  ·  Date: _________

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 3–31) and word search (Modules 3–146).

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Learning
Duo
Which research question is measurable?
How many hours of sleep do Year 12 students get on school nights?Do Year 12 students sleep well enough?
Matches
Is our school canteen food good?
↓
'Good' is an opinion word with no unit or category, so it cannot be counted or measured. Define it, such as a rating out of 5.
Applying
Meanings
Term
measurable research question
Meaning
A research question is measurable when it can be answered with data that is counted, measured or coded, using clear variables, units or categories, not opinion words.
Practice
Question: Do students who sleep more hours each night get higher Maths marks?
Testing
Gaps
Variable: sleep, Unit:
Check Answer
Spots
2Variable 1: minutes on phone
3Variable 2: good sleep

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Quick Questions

1. Which research question is measurable?
A. How many hours of sleep do Year 12 students get on school nights? ✓
B. Do Year 12 students sleep well enough?
Hours of sleep can be measured in a clear unit. 'Well enough' is an opinion that cannot be measured.
2. Which question names a variable that can be counted?
A. Is the bus a nice way to travel to school?
B. How many students at our school travel by bus each day? ✓
'How many' leads to a count. 'Nice' is an opinion word with no clear data to collect.
3. Which wording makes a research question hard to measure?
A. What is the average weekly canteen spend per student in dollars?
B. Is our school canteen food better than before? ✓
'Better' is an opinion word with no unit or category. Average dollars spent is a measured value.
4. A student wants to measure how fast a website loads. Which unit suits the variable?
A. Seconds ✓
B. Pretty fast
A measurable variable needs a unit such as seconds. 'Pretty fast' is vague and cannot be recorded as data.
5. A survey asks 'How do you feel about the new app?' with free-text answers. How can this become measurable?
A. Code the responses into categories such as positive, neutral and negative, then count them ✓
B. Leave the responses as they are and describe the general mood
Coding turns qualitative responses into categories that can be counted. Without coding, there is no data to count.

Match the Pairs

How many students buy lunch from the canteen each day? → A measurable question: the variable is the number of students and it is counted per day.
What is the average time (in minutes) students spend on homework each night? → A measurable question: the variable is time, measured in minutes, so numeric data can be collected.
A measurable question uses categories so responses can be coded and counted. → Which transport (bus, train, car, walk) do Year 12 students use to get to school?
Measurable questions name the variables to be collected, with a unit. → Does the number of hours slept (hours) affect test scores (marks out of 100)?
Is our school canteen food good? → 'Good' is an opinion word with no unit or category, so it cannot be counted or measured. Define it, such as a rating out of 5.
Are students happier when they use their phones a lot? → 'Happier' and 'a lot' are vague and have no variable, unit or categories. Use a rating scale and hours per day instead.

Key Term

measurable research question
A research question is measurable when it can be answered with data that is counted, measured or coded, using clear variables, units or categories, not opinion words.

Fill in the Blanks

1. Variable: sleep, Unit: hours
Hint: Type the unit used to measure the amount of sleep.
2. Which app is the best for study?
Hint: Type the opinion word that cannot be measured with data.
3. =COUNTIF(B2:B30,"Yes")
Hint: Type the spreadsheet function that counts coded responses matching a category.
4. SELECT AVG(hours) FROM sleep;
Hint: Type the aggregate function that finds the mean of the measured values.
5. How many students walk to school?
Hint: Type the question word that asks for a count, which makes the question measurable.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A RQ: Does phone use cut sleep?
B Variable 1: minutes on phone
C Variable 2: good sleep
D Unit: hours per night
Line C — 'Good' is an opinion word and cannot be counted or measured. The variable should be a measurable quantity such as 'hours of sleep'.
Question 2
A RQ: Is walking a nice habit?
B Variable: way of travelling
C Categories: walk, bus, car
Line A — 'Nice habit' is an opinion that cannot be counted, measured or coded. A measurable question asks something countable, such as 'How many students walk?'.
Question 3
A RQ: Does study raise marks?
B Variable 1: how hard I try
C Variable 2: test mark (%)
D Data type: numbers
Line B — 'How hard I try' is vague and has no unit or categories. The variable should be measurable, such as 'hours of study'.
Question 4
A RQ: Does height change jump?
B Variable 1: height
C Variable 2: jump distance
D Units: tall or short
Line D — 'Tall' and 'short' are opinion words, not units. Height and jump distance should be measured in a clear unit such as centimetres (cm).
Question 5
A RQ: Which lunch sells most?
B Variable: type of lunch
C Categories: yummy, gross, ok
D Data: count sales per type
Line C — Yummy, gross and ok are opinion words. The categories should be clear types of lunch, such as pie, salad and wrap, so sales can be counted.

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