Maths Coursework - Statistical Investigation
Introduction
During my Statistical Coursework Investigation, I am going to investigate three hypothesis, regarding the common beliefs people have of broadsheet and tabloid newspapers.
Tabloid newspapers follow a tradition of being shorter and containing less detail than the broadsheet. Broadsheets also contain more serious topics (e.g. development of AIDS in third world).
The four articles I am going to analyse follow the same topic and were published on the same date, to avoid and bias, this also increases reliability of my results.
I will use two broadsheet (The Times, The Guardian) and two tabloid articles (The Daily Star, The Mail), again to avoid being biased.
Hypothesis 1
"Broadsheets have longer words and are more difficult to read"
This is the first hypothesis I am going to investigate, I am going to take a sample of 100 words from each of the four articles I have (two broadsheet, two tabloid). I will count the first 50 and last 50 words in the articles (to avoid bias), and mark down on a tally chart each of the word's lengths.
The Guardian
Word Length
Tally
Total
8
2
7
3
20
4
4
5
8
6
7
7
1
8
6
9
5
0
2
1
0
2
0
3
2
Tally Tables
The Times
Word Length
Tally
Total
4
2
22
3
20
4
2
5
9
6
6
7
1
8
6
9
4
0
4
1
0
2
0
3
2
Broadsheets
Tabloids
Daily Star
Word Length
Tally
Total
8
2
6
3
21
4
4
5
8
6
7
7
1
8
6
9
5
0
2
1
0
2
0
3
2
The Mirror
Word Length
Tally
Total
3
2
7
3
8
4
9
5
4
6
6
7
1
8
1
9
6
0
1
2
2
0
3
2
Graphs
Now that I have calculated the word length for each of my articles, I will now work out what the Mean, Mode, Median and Range are for each of these.
Mean
The Mean is the average amount within a set of figures.
The Times
Word Length
Total
Total Number of Letters
4
4
2
22
44
3
20
60
4
2
46
5
9
45
6
6
36
7
1
77
8
6
48
9
4
36
0
4
40
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
2
26
Total
462
To calculate the Mean, I will divide the total number of letters (462) by 100 (number of words).
(4+44+60+46+45+36+77+48+36+40+26)
00
=4.62
The Mean amount of letters in The Times is 4.62
The Guardian
Word Length
Total
Total Number of Letters
8
8
2
7
34
3
20
60
4
4
56
5
8
40
6
7
42
7
1
77
8
6
48
9
5
45
0
2
20
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
2
26
Total
642
To calculate the Mean, I will divide the total number of letters (642) by 100 (number of words).
Introduction
During my Statistical Coursework Investigation, I am going to investigate three hypothesis, regarding the common beliefs people have of broadsheet and tabloid newspapers.
Tabloid newspapers follow a tradition of being shorter and containing less detail than the broadsheet. Broadsheets also contain more serious topics (e.g. development of AIDS in third world).
The four articles I am going to analyse follow the same topic and were published on the same date, to avoid and bias, this also increases reliability of my results.
I will use two broadsheet (The Times, The Guardian) and two tabloid articles (The Daily Star, The Mail), again to avoid being biased.
Hypothesis 1
"Broadsheets have longer words and are more difficult to read"
This is the first hypothesis I am going to investigate, I am going to take a sample of 100 words from each of the four articles I have (two broadsheet, two tabloid). I will count the first 50 and last 50 words in the articles (to avoid bias), and mark down on a tally chart each of the word's lengths.
The Guardian
Word Length
Tally
Total
8
2
7
3
20
4
4
5
8
6
7
7
1
8
6
9
5
0
2
1
0
2
0
3
2
Tally Tables
The Times
Word Length
Tally
Total
4
2
22
3
20
4
2
5
9
6
6
7
1
8
6
9
4
0
4
1
0
2
0
3
2
Broadsheets
Tabloids
Daily Star
Word Length
Tally
Total
8
2
6
3
21
4
4
5
8
6
7
7
1
8
6
9
5
0
2
1
0
2
0
3
2
The Mirror
Word Length
Tally
Total
3
2
7
3
8
4
9
5
4
6
6
7
1
8
1
9
6
0
1
2
2
0
3
2
Graphs
Now that I have calculated the word length for each of my articles, I will now work out what the Mean, Mode, Median and Range are for each of these.
Mean
The Mean is the average amount within a set of figures.
The Times
Word Length
Total
Total Number of Letters
4
4
2
22
44
3
20
60
4
2
46
5
9
45
6
6
36
7
1
77
8
6
48
9
4
36
0
4
40
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
2
26
Total
462
To calculate the Mean, I will divide the total number of letters (462) by 100 (number of words).
(4+44+60+46+45+36+77+48+36+40+26)
00
=4.62
The Mean amount of letters in The Times is 4.62
The Guardian
Word Length
Total
Total Number of Letters
8
8
2
7
34
3
20
60
4
4
56
5
8
40
6
7
42
7
1
77
8
6
48
9
5
45
0
2
20
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
2
26
Total
642
To calculate the Mean, I will divide the total number of letters (642) by 100 (number of words).
