The Statistical Toolbox: Reflections on My Dissertation Experience

Abstract

Starting work on your dissertation is a truly daunting task. While working on my own dissertation, two pieces of advice given to me by my advisor shaped how I approach the topic of research. This article summarizes my experience in dealing with these pieces of advice. The article describes why the first piece of advice was the best advice that my advisor gave me. The article also describes why the second piece of advice went contrary to the first, thus leading me to abandoning the piece of advice. I talk about the difficulties I faced while collecting data, and how, by expanding the number of tools in my statistical toolbox, I was able to work with what I had. Statistical analysis is not an easy subject, especially the methods that are used in quantitative analysis. The mathematics behind them is complicated, to say the least. Fortunately, social scientists do not need to know the math. They do need, however, to understand the underlying principles to mold these tools to their situation. Luckily, there are resources that help you do this, but you have to look for them carefully.