PEMD-10.1.11 Quantitative Data Analysis: An Introduction

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United States General Accounting Office

GAO

Program Evaluation and Metktodology

Division

June 1992

Quantitative Data

Analysis: An

Introduction

GAO/PEMD-10.1.11

Preface

GAO assists congressional decisionmakers in their

deliberative process by furnishing analytical

information on issues and options under

consideration. Many diverse methodologies are

needed to develop sound and timely answers to the

questions that are posed by the Congress. To provide

GAO evaluators with basic information about the

more commonly used methodologies, GAO¡¯s policy

guidance includes documents such as methodology

transfer papers and technical guidelines.

This methodology transfer paper on quantitative data

analysis deals with information expressed as

numbers, as opposed to words, and is about statistical

analysis in particular because most numerical

analyses by GAO are of that form. The intended

reader is the GAO generalist, not statisticians and

other experts on evaluation design and methodology.

The paper aims to bridge the communications gap

between generalist and specialist, helping the

generalist evaluator be a wiser consumer of technical

advice and helping report reviewers be more sensitive

to the potential for methodological errors, The intent

is thus to provide a brief tour of the statistical terrain

by introducing concepts and issues important to

GAO¡¯s work, illustrating the use of a variety of

statistical methods, discussing factors that influence

the choice of methods, and offering some advice on

how to avoid pitfalls in the analysis of quantitative

data. Concepts are presented in a nontechnical way by

avoiding computational procedures, except for a few

illustrations, and by avoiding a rigorous discussion of

assumptions that underlie statistical methods.

Quantitative Data Analysis is one of a series of papers

issued by the Program Evaluation and Methodology

Division (PEMD). The purpose of the series is to

provide GAO evaluators with guides to various

aspects of audit and evaluation methodology, to

illustrate applications, and to indicate where more

detailed information is available.

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GAO/PEMD-10.1.11

QuantitativeAnalysis

Preface

We look forward to receiving comments from the

readers of this paper. They should be addressed to

Eleanor Chelimsky at 202-275-1854.

Werner Grosshans

Assistant Comptroller

Office of Policy

General

Eleanor Chelimsky

Assistant Comptroller General

for Program Evaluation and Methodology

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Quantitative

Analysis

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Quantitative

Analysis

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