Analyzing quantitative data

There are several steps to analyzing quantitative data such as cleaning the data set, coding or re-naming variables, gathering descriptive data, and analyzing correlations. Below are things to consider including in your analysis process, which can differ based on your evaluation design, the data you collected, and what you want to find out from the evaluation. Remember that statistical analyses can sometimes be complicated and challenging if you have not had previous experience analyzing quantitative data. You can always reach out to a statistician or someone with more experience for assistance with this part of your evaluation, such as a student trained in this area, who could assist you in exchange for permission to use the analysis as a paper. You could also consider taking a statistics course at a local college or online to learn how to analyze data using a basic spreadsheet and your own calculations, or by using a statistical software program. If, after reading this chapter, you feel that rigorous program evaluation is beyond the capacities of your project, see if the resources in Chapter 7: Tips and Tools can help you.

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