Week 4 Project: Using Microsoft Excel to Test Data Sets

This week’s chapter readings included discrete probability distributions, which included a section on binominal distributions. Now you will apply this learning by testing a hypothesis based on your research topic using binominal distribution. In this assignment you will use Microsoft Excel software to compare 2012 National Crime Victimization (NCVS) data and 2013 National Crime Victimization (NCVS) data on violent crime.

Project Resources: (Access by clicking the links below for resources)

1. Step-by-step Instructions
2. Data Set from the Bureau of Justice Statistics

In Week 2, you learned how to make graphs. For this assignment you will continue to apply this learning to create graphs to support your work. You are encouraged to try different types of graphs and show all your work. On the basis of your comparison of 2012 and 2013 NCVS data, use what you have learned to enter data in Microsoft Excel software to:

• Incorporate NCVS crime data and test a hypothesis based on your research topic on a binomial distribution as described in this week’s chapter readings. For example, you could test the hypothesis that being male and less than 25 years of age increases the likelihood of being the victim of a homicide.
• Use the NCVS data to build a table in Microsoft Excel including standard demographic variables comparing victimization rates by age and gender between the two years.
• Use the data in your Microsoft Excel table to select a graph and prepare a chart to support your hypothesis. Present your Microsoft Excel spreadsheet as a table in a Microsoft Word document.
• Based on your readings analyze your findings for male and female victims creating charts from the data in your table to support your findings.