Inquiry and Analysis
Inquiry and analysis are crucial aspects of curiosity and are not only engaged workers but someone who is able to think critically about the world around them. Knowing how and when to ask questions is so important as well as being able to extract, break down, and understand responses by piecing them together in a logical manner. However, analysis exists on its own and can be obtained through other ways such as observation. Often the collection of data, whether it be numerical or more based on oral history or storytelling, the set of data is revealing of something and it’s your job to eliminate your own judgment and bias and let the data and the individuals behind the data speak for themselves. Removing assumptions can leave us feeling lost, however, it’s also essential as it prevents us from jumping to false conclusions or looking for data to support our hypotheses or what we wish the data to reflect. Obviously removing bias can be extremely challenging as we can be aware of it but can’t just shut it down like a factory machine, which is why would try to ask objective questions. For example, if you have a set of data and all the data points seem to be somewhat random, one approach one could take to make this more digestible is that look at maybe say the top five or ten data points and compare the notes to each data point looking for commonalities. In connection to looking at the top five or ten plot points, it could be helpful to do the same with the bottom or lowest five or ten data points and again search for commonalities. Once grouped together and analysis is conducted on each group, the interesting part comes in when comparing the highs and lows. Once again, you can ask yourself a series of questions to extract meaning and be able to interpret what otherwise seemed like random or completely unconnected, or desperate entities. Meaning isn’t always obvious or plainly laid out for you which is why learning how to ask questions and inquire like a detective, combing over every detail, not ruling anything too small out, and then working with the separate pieces you have to stitch back a narrative that is not only more understandable but also more expansive than before as it tells a story that previously was muddled or unclear. Through deep observation, attention to detail, and pure determination, one can hone their analytical skills. Practicing more and more will allow you to be more perceptive and aware of what’s going on in front and around you.
How have you developed or demonstrated this competency this semester? Questions to consider (you don’t need to answer them all!): Quantitative Can you give an example of a time when you had to make inferences and judgments based on quantitative data? What assumptions did you make? How confident were you in your analyses? Can you …
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