Clarifying Research Assumptions: Strengthening Academic Studies
In research, especially in quantitative studies, testing hypotheses or making inferences from data requires the satisfaction of certain assumptions and conditions. These underlying assumptions ensure that the statistical methods applied yield valid, unbiased, and reliable results.
Step 1: Understand the Role of Assumptions in Statistical Testing
Before applying any statistical test (t-test, ANOVA, regression, etc.), it’s essential to understand that each test comes with assumptions—conditions that must hold true for the results to be trustworthy. These assumptions are theoretical foundations for statistical formulas and are not just optional guidelines.
For instance, the independent t-test assumes:
Independence of observations
Normal distribution of the data
Homogeneity of variances between groups
If these assumptions are violated, it may lead to incorrect conclusions (Type I or Type II errors).
Example:
If you use a t-test to compare two groups but your data is not normally distributed, the p-values obtained may be misleading.
Pro Tip:
Always read the assumptions for the test you plan to use. Textbooks, statistics websites like UCLA Stats, or software documentation (e.g., SPSS, R) often clearly state them.
Step 2: Identify the Key Assumptions for Your Chosen Test
Once you select a statistical test based on your research design and hypothesis, you must identify its assumptions. Most common tests come with a known list of assumptions, which fall under four broad types:
Independence of observations – Each data point must be unrelated to others.
Normality – The data (or residuals) should be normally distributed.
Homogeneity of variance – Variance across groups should be similar.
Linearity – For tests like regression, the relationship between variables should be linear.
Example:
In a multiple linear regression model, your assumptions would include:
Linearity between independent and dependent variables
Independence of residuals
Homoscedasticity (equal variance of residuals)
Normal distribution of residuals
No multicollinearity
Pro Tip:
Make a checklist of assumptions when planning your analysis. This keeps your approach structured and helps document your methodology for peer review or thesis writing.
Step 3: Use Diagnostic Tools and Tests to Check Assumptions
After collecting data, you need to test whether assumptions hold true. Modern statistical software makes it easy to perform these checks using visual and numerical methods:
Common Diagnostic Tools:
Normality: Histogram, Q-Q plot, Shapiro-Wilk test
Homoscedasticity: Scatter plot of residuals vs. fitted values, Levene’s test
Independence: Durbin-Watson test (for time series or regression)
Multicollinearity: Variance Inflation Factor (VIF)
Example:
To check normality of data before running a t-test, you could:
Generate a Q-Q plot
Run the Shapiro-Wilk test (p > 0.05 indicates normality)
If assumptions are violated, you may need to transform your data, use non-parametric alternatives, or adjust your model.
Pro Tip:
Don’t rely on just one method. Combine visual tools and statistical tests for a more reliable assessment. For large samples, visual inspections are often more informative than normality tests alone.
Step 4: Adjust Your Analysis If Assumptions Are Violated
Not all real-world data will meet textbook assumptions, especially in fields like social sciences and education. If your data violates an assumption, you can take several actions:
Options Include:
Data transformation (e.g., log or square root) to achieve normality
Robust statistical methods (e.g., Welch’s t-test instead of standard t-test)
Non-parametric tests like Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis, or Spearman’s correlation
Bootstrapping or resampling methods
Example:
If Levene’s test shows unequal variances between two groups, use Welch’s t-test, which adjusts for heterogeneity.
Also, if your residuals in regression are not normally distributed, applying a log transformation or using generalized linear models (GLM) might help.
Pro Tip:
Always report when and how you dealt with assumption violations in your methodology section. This adds transparency and boosts the credibility of your research.
Step 5: Document Assumptions and Justify Analytical Choices
Clarifying assumptions is not just a statistical task—it’s a research communication task.
Your thesis, article, or project report must document:
The assumptions for each test
How you tested these assumptions
Any corrections or alternative tests used
This documentation helps:
Supervisors and peer reviewers verify your choices
Readers replicate or critique your study
You defend your decisions in presentations or viva voce
Example:
Prior to conducting the independent samples t-test, normality was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test (p = 0.12), and equal variances were confirmed using Levene’s test (p = 0.34). As both assumptions were met, the t-test was applied without adjustments.
Pro Tip:
Include a short table or checklist in your appendices that outlines which assumptions were tested and the outcomes. This demonstrates scholarly thoroughness.
Clarifying assumptions and conditions for testing is an essential step in any empirical research process. From understanding their role to testing and documenting them, each step contributes to a robust and defensible analysis. By following this structured approach, research scholars and academicians can ensure their results are statistically sound, ethically responsible, and academically credible.
