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The Relationship between Statistical Analysis Abilities and the Production of Research among Saudi Faculty Members
Abstract
Scientific research plays an important role in creating growth and progress in developing countries (Greenstone, 2010). Developed countries have realized that importance and focused on conducting scientific researches to help them make valuable decisions. Many Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, are trying to encourage faculty members at all universities to write as many good quality researches as possible and benefit from the results that can serve the society better. This study examines the relationship between competency of university faculty members to statistically analyse data and their production of research. The sample included 158 faculty members from four universities in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Participants were asked to respond to a survey that carried 13 questions related to the ability to perform descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that more than 70% of faculty members do not have the ability to statistically analyse research data. The results also revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between the ability of faculty members to statistically analyse research data and the number of quantitative researches they produce, r = 0.69, p < .05. Such results explain why many academicians revert to writing qualitative research. It is recommended that faculty members in Saudi universities should improve their knowledge about the use and implementation of statistical tests appropriately.
Keywords: statistical skills, quantitative research, publication, data collection, statistical software
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