PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES
Course: Applied Statistics in Economics and Business
Objective
The project (for the course Applied Statistics) is a statistical study intended to produce quantitative
information for decision-making. It should include: problem statement, objectives, measured vari-
ables, data collection, descriptive statistics (tables/plots), and inferential statistics (confidence inter-
val/hypothesis testing).
The project is completed by a group of up to five students within the same course code. Groups must
not include students from different classes.
The topic is proposed by the group and must be approved by the lecturer.
Detailed Guidance
Selecting a topic
The group should begin with one or more publicly stated claims about a topic of interest (e.g., a news
article, a social media post, or a TikTok video). The group will then translate these claims into testable
hypotheses, collect relevant data, and conduct the appropriate hypothesis tests.
The final report should also demonstrate course-related knowledge. The more course-relevant content
the report demonstrates, the higher it will be evaluated.
Illustrative example
Suppose the group is interested in traffic conditions in Vietnam and finds the following news article:
[Link]
html
• Claim: “Vietnam is among the countries with the highest road-traffic risk in the world.”
One possible approach is to define a country as a “high road-traffic risk” if its road traffic mor-
tality rate (deaths per 100,000 population) is higher than the global average. The group can then
collect Vietnam’s annual data on this indicator and perform a mean test to draw a conclusion.
• Claim: “Traffic accidents remain the largest single cause of fatalities in Vietnam.”
The group can collect data on traffic-related deaths (suggested source: [Link]
com/statistics/986123/vietnam-number-deaths-traffic-accidents/) and deaths from
1
other causes (e.g., deaths due to disease: [Link]
[Link]). A two-sample mean test can then be conducted to draw a conclusion.
• In addition, the group should include descriptive statistics, graphs, and confidence intervals.
Topic Proposal Report
A group representative must submit a proposal clearly stating the research topic and the planned steps.
The due date is Week 3 from the start of the course.
The proposal should include:
• A list of group members with accurate full names
• Project title
• The article/statement from which the hypotheses are derived (a link is sufficient if available)
• A data-collection plan: which variables, target units/population, data sources, data collection pe-
riod, etc.
The proposal should be about 1–2 A4 pages and submitted on the LMS (under PROJECT PRO-
POSAL).
Note: Students may begin data collection and project work only after the lecturer has approved the
proposal.
Final Report
The final report may be written in English and submitted as a Word or PDF file. Students must also
attach:
1. The original dataset collected (Excel file)
2. Output files (e.g., Excel output) or code files (R or Stata)
3. A Turnitin similarity report (maximum similarity allowed: 25%)
Required structure
The final report should include:
• Cover page: project title, class/section, and group member list
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• Contribution page: a table listing members and each member’s contribution percentage. The total
must sum to 100%. The group must agree internally on contribution levels.
• Project abstract: up to 300 words
• Chapter 1 – Introduction: context, motivation, research problem, and research objectives
• Chapter 2 – Data: identification of the main variable(s) of interest and related variables to explore.
• Chapter 3 – Results:
– Descriptive Statistics: You should select the numerical and graphical summaries that best fit
your data and research questions. Incorporate key outputs (tables/plots) into the main text of
the report, and explain what each summary shows and how you interpret it.
– Inferential Statistics: Select the inferential method(s) that match your research question.
Clearly state the parameter of interest, define the null and alternative hypotheses in context,
and specify whether your test is one-tailed or two-tailed. Report the test statistic, p-value, and
your decision at the chosen significance level, then interpret the conclusion.
• Chapter 4 – Conclusion: implications/recommendations for stakeholders; limitations of the sta-
tistical study
• References: list all cited sources
• Appendix (if any)
Formatting requirements
• Paper size: A4; margins: top 2 cm, bottom 2 cm, left 2 cm, right 2 cm
• Page numbering: bottom-right; 0.8 cm from the bottom margin. Number pages from Chapter 1
through the last page of the final chapter. Do not number the References and Appendix.
• Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt
• Paragraph spacing: 6 pt before each paragraph
• Line spacing: 1.5 for paragraphs; single spacing for tables.
• Length: minimum 10 pages, maximum 50 pages