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UTS BUSINESS STATISTICS 26134

ASSIGNMENT

Submission Deadline: WEEK 6

Index

S.No Topic Page Number

1. Assignment Questions 2

2. Assignment Instructions 4
i. Submission Layout/Requirements
ii. Selection and Justification of
statistical technique
iii. Incorrect Student Names or
Numbers
iv. Late Submissions
v. Where to Submit the Assignment
vi. Dos and Donts

3. General Instructions 6
i. Overview
ii. Student Learning Objectives
iii. Approach to Assignment
iv. Marking Criteria
v. Special Consideration
vi. Plagiarism
vii. Assistance with Assignment
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ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

The purpose of this assignment is to test your ability to 1) locate, 2) select and 3) analyze data.
This assignment is based on situation that you may encounter in a corporate scenario. This
purpose is aligned with desirable graduate attributes as part of the learning outcomes associated
with Business Statistics 26134.

The questions for the assignment are indicated below. The datasets for assignment questions are
available in the assignment folder on UTS Online.

1. QUESTION 3.13, Page 64

The planet may be threatened by global warming, possibly caused by burning fossil fuels
(petroleum, natural gas and coal) that produce carbon dioxide (CO2). The data provided
lists the top 15 producers of CO2 and the annual amounts (millions of metric tonnes) from
fossil fuels.

Based on the data provided, answer the following questions:

a. Use an appropriate graphical technique to examine the annual amounts of carbon
dioxide produced from burning fossil fuels. [2 points]

b. Use an appropriate graphical technique to examine the relative share of annual

amounts of carbon dioxide produced from burning fossil fuels. [2 points]

c. What can you conclude based on graphical techniques used in parts a and b above?
[1 point]

2. Adapted from Case 5.5, Page 193:

The dataset provided presents the male life expectancy (in years) and literacy rate (as a
percentage) of the 15 richest countries and 18 poorest countries (in alphabetical order) in
the world. Based on the data, answer the following questions:

a. What is the mean and standard deviation of life expectancy of males in the richest
countries and poorest countries? [1 point]

b. What is the mean and standard deviation of literacy rate in the richest countries
and the poorest countries? For each group of countries, what can you conclude
based on the values of these measures? [2 points]

c. Which is the most suitable measure to compare the life expectancy of the richest
and poorest countries given you wish to compare the level of variability within
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the two groups, but account for variation in the means of the two groups? What
can you conclude based on the values of this measure? (Calculate and provide the
values of the measure. ) [2 points]
Note: To answer this question, please use the dataset provided, and not the screenshot of the
data in the textbook question.

3. QUESTION 18.83, Page 763.

An agronomist wanted to investigate the factors that determine crop yield. Accordingly, she
undertook an experiment in which a farm was divided into 30 half-hectare plots. The amount
of fertilizer applied to each plot was varied. Corn was then planted, and the amount of corn
harvested at the end of the season was recorded. Based on the data provided, answer the
following questions:

a. Use an appropriate graphical technique to examine the association between

amount of fertilizer applied and amount of corn harvested at the end of the season.
[1 point]
b. Explain your findings based on the graphical technique. [1 point]

c. Use a suitable technique to test the linear relationship between the amount of
fertilizer and the crop yield. Present the output of your analysis. Can you conclude
that there is a significant linear relationship between the amount of fertilizer and
the crop yield? Justify your conclusion. [3
points]

4. QUESTION 19.51, Page 821

The agronomist referred to in question 3 above, believes that the amount of rainfall as
well as the amount of fertilizer used would affect the crop yield. She redid the experiment
in the following way. Thirty greenhouses were rented. In each, the amount of fertilizer
and the amount of water were varied. At the end of the growing season, the amount of
corn was recorded (column 1=crop yield in kilograms; column 2=amount of fertilizer
applied in kilograms; column3=amount of water in litres per week).
a. Use multiple regression technique to analyze the agronomists belief and present
the output of your analysis. Describe the model fit. [1 point]

b. Interpret the coefficients. [1 points]

c. Is multicollinearity a problem in this model? Explain. [1 points]
d. Write the prediction equation (substitute the values of X in the equation) and
show your steps to predict the crop yield when 300kg of fertilizer and 1000 litres
of water are applied. Write your final answer to 2 decimal points.
[2 points]
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ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
1. Submission Layout / Requirements
There is a strict upper maximum page limit for the assignment. That is, your submission should
not exceed a total of 8 pages.
a. Student names must be UPPERCASE. Student name and ID numbers MUST be listed
on ALL pages on the TOP LEFT of the page as in the format on PAGE 8. This
format avoids the use of a cover page.
b. The layout should have the following format for ALL pages:

[ ] Body text: Times New Roman 12 point font

[ ] Readable size text in tables or graphs (any font size and type is acceptable for these)
[ ] No comment boxes or text boxes
[ ] 2.54cm margins on all sides (top, bottom, right and left) (the MS Word standard)
[ ] Single-spaced
[ ] Single sided pages
[ ] Spelling and grammar checked
[ ] Appropriately labeled and presented (e.g. size) figures and tables.
[ ] No colour printouts greyscale or black and white only
[ ] Page numbers on the bottom right of all pages
[ ] CLEAR indication of assignment part and question number being attempted, along with
indication of where each answer starts and ends.
[ ] Submissions should not be presented in a plastic sleeve
[ ] Submissions should be stapled three times (top, middle, bottom) down the left-hand
margin (like a book)
c. Each question to begin on a new page and label each question and its sub-part correctly.
d. All students are required to use ONLY Excel for data analysis.
[Please note: Majority of our students are using windows based PC/laptops. Mac users who are unable to
figure out data analysis in excel on Mac versions are strongly advised to use computers in the library.]

e. A cover page should NOT be included. If you include it, it will count towards your page
count resulting in a deduction of marks.
f. When collating the assignment, all questions and their sub-parts should be arranged in
ascending order.
g. Student Names or Numbers SHOULD BE CORRECTLY ENTERED
h. Failure to follow ANY OF THE ABOVE instructions will result in 10% deduction of
marks.
Failure to include student name and ID numbers on all pages OR having one of the
details incorrect (e.g. one of the digits in your student number is wrong) will result in an
automatic 10% deduction.

i. Electronic submissions are NOT allowed under any circumstance. Please do not
email to check for electronic submission.
j. Assignment should be submitted in your scheduled tutorial session ONLY.
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Each submission should use the layout specified to ensure homogeneity and fairness
across submissions. We also do this to familiarise you with a specific layout request. For
instance, your boss may ask you to produce a report in a certain style to allow integrating with a
much larger report failure to do this would mean making your boss frustrated.

Unnecessary information and answers that appear to be covering all bases will be
marked down. Just as this would not be acceptable when submitting a report to the managing
director of a company, it will not be accepted in this assignment.

2. Selection of and Justification of Technique

a.) Choose ONLY techniques that you have already learnt about or will be
exposed to shortly in Business Statistics lectures in Week1 to Week 5.
b.) Please do not ask on UTS Online whether your choice for a particular
question is the right one or whether it means you are on the right track.
c.) Self-study topics can be tested in the assignment.

3. Late Submissions
You are expected to meet the submission deadline. Severe circumstances affecting you
on the last day before the assignment is due will NOT be deemed as having affected your
submission, as the process of completing your assessment should have started well and truly a
day before the assignment was due.
i. Severe circumstances DO NOT include issues with computers and you are encouraged to
make backup/duplicates of your work including a photocopy of your assignment before it
is handed in. Failure to meet the deadline as indicated in the subject outline will result
in a 15% penalty.
ii. Assignments submitted outside of the scheduled tutorial session in the submission week
will attract 10% penalty.
iii. Electronic submissions will not be accepted and not responded to.
iv. The results of late submissions will be delayed. Assignments more than one week late will
not be marked.

NOTE: Extensions for assignment will not be granted under any circumstances.

4. Where to Submit the Assignment: Submission in your registered tutorial session

ONLY.

5. Dos and Donts

a. Presentation of the assignment is left to your creativity after ensuring the submission
layout requirements.
b. Since the purpose of the assignment is to test your ability to locate, select and analyse
data, the following question types will not be addressed:
i. How the table should be laid out
ii. What other websites you could use to find information on used cars?
iii. What should be the search criteria?
iv. Should I use 10 point Arial or 12 point hieroglyphics?
v. I am unable to find the data!
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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
1. Assignment:
The various assignment questions will test your ability to justify your approach (e.g., why
did you choose to use the median as a measure of central tendency), present some information
that require you to use Excel (e.g., plots), interpret, and in some cases draw managerial
conclusions about what you have presented (e.g., should the manager launch the new product
based on your analysis?). Therefore, read the questions carefully and answer appropriately.

2. Marking Criteria
Unless noted otherwise (e.g. some questions ask only for one word answers), the
following criteria will be used to evaluate your submission:
i. Does the assignment submission present a clear and well-constructed
argument towards the use of this tool or approach?
ii. Does the assignment submission present output correctly and accurately?
iii. Is this output easy to understand and read?
iv. If asked, does it reflect a correct interpretation/conclusion about the output that
has been generated?
v. Does the assignment submission refrain from submitting unnecessary information
and presents a concise answer with a logical flow of ideas?
vi. Does the assignment submission communicate an answer in a suitable
manner, and is it free from spelling and grammar mistakes?

3. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is considered intellectual theft and, hence, penalties are in accordance with its
seriousness. Plagiarism includes use of another persons work including authors (use referencing
where applicable) and other students. If you feel pressured to copy another student's work then
consider the penalties of simply delaying your submission relative to being reprimanded for
plagiarism. Reprimands for plagiarism can be severe and may affect your standing within the
university. Please note, we check for plagiarism each semester and catch at least one act of
plagiarism every time. No two assignments should be the same. If you lend your assignment out
to someone else and they copy it, or you work together but hand in a separate assignment, you
have contributed to plagiarism and will be reprimanded. Just because you were the one who lent
the assignment and you may have not known the extent to which they copied your work is NO
EXCUSE you are just as much to blame as the person who copied your work.
So, we advise that you
DO NOT LEND OUT YOUR SOLUTIONS TO ANOTHER PERSON

4. Assistance/Help with Completing the Assignment

Several resources are available to help you complete the assignment.
UTS Online: You can ask general questions about the assignment on the assignment discussion
board. Administrative matters can also be dealt with here. Please follow the rules of the
discussion board before posting. We will not be providing answers in this forum. Instead we will
provide general advice and clarification of any ambiguities arising. DO NOT put anything
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resembling a solution or comment on a solution, as these posts will be deleted. DO NOT "fish"
for answers, as these types of posts will be deleted. You may also be reprimanded on the basis of
assisting others, which may be interpreted as plagiarism. Have a look at other student posts
before posting - reposted items dealing with a previously asked question will be deleted. Your
text book: This text book was chosen because of its ability to discuss materials in an applied
fashion. It also offers specific help on using Excel to do various tasks.
Other textbooks: Don't feel limited to using the prescribed text book. For instance, there are
plenty of other books on how to do something in Excel. Some of these texts are specifically
mentioned in the other readings section of the subject outline.
Google & Youtube: If you don't know how to do something, there is tons of information on the
Internet that may be able to assist you. Remember to reference if appropriate.

5. How much is the overall assignment worth? 20% towards your overall grade.

THIS IS THE END OF THE GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS SECTION OF THIS DOCUMENT

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WIORKOWSKI (ID: 200007)

ASSIGNMENT

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