Writing the data analysis plan

Abstract

You and your project statistician have one major goal for your data analysis plan: You need to convince all the reviewers reading your proposal that you would know what to do with your data once your project is funded and your data are in hand. The data analytic plan is a signal to the reviewers about your ability to score, describe, and thoughtfully synthesize a large number of variables into appropriately-selected quantitative models once the data are collected. Reviewers respond very well to plans with a clear elucidation of the data analysis steps - in an appropriate order, with an appropriate level of detail and reference to relevant literatures, and with statistical models and methods for that map well into your proposed aims. A successful data analysis plan produces reviews that either include no comments about the data analysis plan or better yet, compliments it for being comprehensive and logical given your aims. This chapter offers practical advice about developing and writing a compelling, bullet-proof data analytic plan for your grant application. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.