QAB105 Business Research Methods

This Assignment consists of 2 parts 

Part 1 [8 marks] 

Answer the questions (a) – (e) below using no more than 150 words for each question. 

1. a) Briefly explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative research and the  advantages of the respective research methods. 
2. b) Briefly explain three probability and non-probability sampling methods.  
3. c) Briefly discuss the difference between population and sample, and explain why it is  necessary sometimes to use sample data instead of population data. Support your answer with appropriate examples. 
4. d) Explain the difference between target population and sampled population using an  appropriate example. 
5. e) Briefly discuss the possible errors in collecting data with appropriate examples.  

Part 2 [12 Marks] 

Using datasets in QAB105 Written Assignment 1 Datafile.xls and EXCEL, answer the  questions (a) – (f) below (using no more than 100 words for each question). 

1. a) Dataset 1 displays the electricity and heat production (in gigawatt hours, GWh) patterns of Australia and New Zealand. Using suitable graph(s) compare and comment on the shares of electricity and heat production sources in Australia and New Zealand. 
2. b) Dataset 2 presents the Australian exports and imports by 10 major trading partners (in A$ millions) for 2018. Using appropriate graph(s) comment on the volume of Australia’s international trade with major trading partners. 
3. c) Dataset 3 presents the average petrol prices in Australia and for the six states and the Northern Territory from 2002 to 2019. Using appropriate graph(s), describe your observations about petrol prices trend in Australia and by State/ Territory. 
4. d) Dataset 4 presents data for the number of deaths due to road accidents categorised by road user groups and gender from 2016–2020.

Using appropriate graphs 

1. analyse the data by all road user groups
2. analyse the data by gender
3. e) Dataset 5 presents data on the average number of cigarettes smoked and the number of days absent from work due to colds in year 2019. Present an appropriate plot to  investigate the relationship between the average number of cigarettes smoked and the number of days absent from work. Comment on the relationship. 
4. f) Using Dataset 5, prepare a numerical summary output for the variables; average number of cigarettes smoked and the number of days absent from work. Explain the key  numerical descriptive measures.