For Professor Ryan Only
lken82
ia_wk3_sampling-data_collection_plan.docPaper must be based off my teams paper from last week. See this DOC:
Team C QNT 561
Week 2 - Business Research Project Part 1_1.docx
Sampling and Data Collection Plan – See below for what is required
Using the scenario and two variables your learning team developed for the Week 2 Business Research Project Part 1 assignment, create a paper of no more than 700 words in which the goal is to submit a random sampling plan in such detail that another researcher could replicate the method.
Discuss the following:
(a) Population and size
(b) The target population and brief reasoning
(c) Sampling element which may be conducted through any of the following:
· Data mining
· Survey (If a survey is chosen, create a 5-10 question document), or
· Observation
(d) The sample size
(e) Method of random sampling which may include:
· Simple
· Stratified
· Systematic, or
· Cluster
Calculate the sample size using a 95% confidence level, and a 5% margin of error. Place the calculation in the Appendix.
Discuss how validity (and reliability) will be achieved.
Explain how human subjects will be protected (if applicable).
Data collection
Explain how the data will be physically collected.
Explain where data will be stored and how it will be protected.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.
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Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT PART 1 |
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BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT PART 1 |
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Business Research Project Part 1
Company C “provides a valuable combination of competitive prices, reliable electricity supply, and service to 1.4 million homes, businesses, and industries in the southern two-thirds of Alabama. It is one of four U.S. utilities operated by Southern Company, one of the nation's largest producers of electricity. More than 78,000 miles of power lines carry electricity to customers throughout 44,500 square miles” (Alabama Power, 2014). Company C offers different programs to help customers control energy costs. One example is an energy checkup that involves the company estimating the electricity used per household or business. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, electricity consumption by residents of Alabama is growing faster than the actual population in Alabama (U.S. Department of Energy, 2015). Our research will be conducting to find out if there is any correlation with the usage of electricity and the size of the home.
Variables
Independent – square footage of a home
Dependent – electricity usage of a home
Business Problem
Due to economic pressures, consumers are increasingly concerned with tightening their budgets. Limiting electricity consumption is one way to accomplish this. Consumers have several options for electricity providers. Company C wants to increase business retention and grow a new customer base by offering accurate electricity estimates for consumers based on the square footage of their current home or the home they are looking to purchase or build.
Team’s Role
Team “C” will carefully analyze the production, distribution, and consumption of electricity per household in the state of Alabama to determine if there is a correlation between the size of homes and the amount of energy consumed. The team will pay particular attention to key variables that directly affect the amount of energy consumed such as insulation requirements, material construction type, and age of the average home in the state. All of these variables will play a critical role in determining the correlation between energy usage and home size. According to the IEA (International Energy Agency), material used during construction and the use of building envelopes or building shells have a dramatic impact on the energy efficiency of a home (International Energy Agency, 2013). It is the team’s challenge to analyze all of these factors carefully and arrive at a conclusion on how home size affects the consumption of energy in Alabama homes.
Research Question
Does electricity usage increase proportionately with the size of a home?
Hypothesis Statements
H0: The electric usage per square foot of a residential home decreases as the size of the home increases.
H1: The electric usage per square foot of a residential home does not decrease as the size of the home increases.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Team C has compiled important data to analyze how residential homes in the state of Alabama utilize electricity. By gathering this data, we can test the impact that square footage has on electricity consumption. This information can help customers understand the amount of electricity needed for a particular size building when purchasing or building a home. The key variables of square footage and electricity usage will be used throughout this process to help Company C better serve the customers of Alabama.
References
Alabama Power. (2014). About us. Retrieved from http://www.alabamapower.com/residential/save-money-energy/energy-checkup.asp
U. S. Department of Energy. (2015). Alabama residential energy consumption. Retrieved from http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/states/residential.cfm/state=AL#elec
International Energy Agency. (2013). Technology roadmap: energy efficient building envelopes.
Retrieved from http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/technology-roadmap-energy-efficient-building-envelopes.html
