10.1.1: Sampling and Data Web Page
- Page ID
- 63622
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Semester Project: Sampling and Data Collection from Two Cities
In this first step of your semester-long housing project, you will gather data on 1-bedroom apartment rentals from two different metro cities of your choosing. One of these cities must be Lakewood, CO. You’ll select a second metro area (e.g., Golden, Boulder, Aurora) that will allow for meaningful comparison throughout the project.
Your goal is to apply principles of random sampling to gather 40 listings from each city (80 total). For each listing, you'll collect a combination of quantitative and qualitative variables such as rental price, square footage, and a chosen feature like pet policy or parking. This will form the foundation of your dataset for the rest of the course.
Objectives
- Apply statistics terminology to a real-world data collection example (population, sample, parameter, statistic, variables, technique)
- Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative variables
- Utilize appropriate random sampling techniques
- Generate relevant initial questions about your sample data
Assignment Steps
- Gather Samples
Go to housing rental websites such as apartments.com, Zillow.com, or Craigslist ... . Search for 1-bedroom apartments currently available in your two selected cities. You may use zip codes or city names. - Apply Random Sampling:
Use a clearly defined random sampling technique to select exactly 40 listings from each city. Record your combined data in a spreadsheet with clearly labeled columns:- City
- Address
- Rental price per month
- Square footage
- Fees
- Where we collected the data from
- One or more qualitative variable of your choice (e.g., pet policy, parking type, flooring type, in-unit washer/dryer)
- Describe Your Process: In a new word document. (This will become the final paper)
- Explain your sampling method. Was your approach truly random? What challenges did you encounter?
- Clearly identify which variables are quantitative and which are qualitative
- List at least three questions you might explore later based on this data
Helpful Tips for Data Collection
- Don’t just use the first 40 listings; those may reflect search order biases or sponsored properties
- Standardize your qualitative variable categories (e.g., "Street Parking" vs. "Roadside Parking" → choose one version)
- Think forward: make sure your data can be used for comparison between cities in later assignments
Submission Instructions
- Submit your Excel file with clearly labeled columns and text box reflection.
- Submit your Word document with the descriptions and any written info.
- Your spreadsheet should contain 80 total listings (40 per city)
- File name format (Excel):
LastName_SampleData.xlsx - File name format (Word):
LastName_FirstDraft.docx - Upload to the “Project Assignments” folder in our LMS