Quantitative studies are an important part of all aspects of field botany. Research involving numbers involves statistical analyses. Usually these are quantitative explorations of the data. Sometimes they involve qualitative assessments. Equally important are the visual displays of information, for both quantitative and qualitative data. This set of skills and behaviors addresses all of these topics.
Novice
- Handles only simple concepts like "average."
- Calculates simple statistics only when requested.
- Creates simple visualizations, such as bar charts, by following instructions.
- Knows about regressions but is uncertain about their creation.
- Is generally unaware of qualitative studies.
Advanced Beginner
- Understands the concept of statistical inference.
- Creates spreadsheet datasets in the format appropriate for data visualizations.
- Generates regressions and data visualizations in a spreadsheet using default settings.
- Uses basic concepts of experimental design to guide data collection and analysis.
Competent
- Creates appropriate experimental designs for each problem.
- Institutes efficient data collection protocols.
- Handles complex data efficiently using a variety of software.
- Uses a variety of statistical software in solving problems and displaying results.
- Selects an appropriate statistical test for a variety of situations.
- Draws from a wide range of statistical tests and understands the basic assumptions on which each is based.
- Builds visualizations that are supportive of problems and which meet high-quality standards.
- Guides other people in the proper use of statistics for common problems.
Proficient
- Understands a wide range of applicable statistical tests.
- Performs tests to determine minimum sampling sizes.
- Extracts information using exploratory tools.
Expert
- Develops new forms of data visualization.
- Creates data handling software that meets specialty needs.
- Understands the mathematics behind the statistical tests.
- Builds experimental designs that are highly efficient and appropriate to problems.
Please note: This set of skills and behaviors is under development.
