Warning: G-Power is a time stealer March 7, 2010
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9103QNB , trackbackSo today I finished up the 11th activity in RSH9103QNB and got ready for the 12th as outlined in the syllabus:
Consider your study, conduct a mock power analysis using G*Power. Include the results of your power analysis in a word document. Submit these results along with a brief paragraph, approximately 250 words, stating the role of a power analysis in your dissertation, and why you must include a power analysis in your paper.
Sounds pretty straight forward, but little did I know it would take me way too long to even get the program up and running and start working on the assignment. The syllabus directed me here and so I read up on G-Power. G-Power is a tool that a researcher can use to identify the sample size most appropriate for the study, i.e. one that provides enough of a sample, but not too much of a sample. The idea is to find at what level is the size meaningful.
Well, I downloaded G-Power 2 and then after installation a little note pops up and tells me that G-Power 2 cannot run on my Vista system…that is, after it went through even setting up some “missing files” to run the program. So I went back to the website and downloaded G-Power 3. This program also tells me that I am missing some files so I have to wait for those to download. Then the setup informs me that I have to reboot, then it finishes setup. Then I can’t find the program on my computer.
Five minutes later I find the program and run it. And I am not sure what I am supposed to do with it.
So I spend an hour looking up the two pdfs the syllabus gives me, plus reading the tutorials on the G-Power website, plus doing a Google search for any information that I can find about power and G-Power.
I end up spending way too much time just prepping for this activity. I haven’t even started writing yet. Of course, the activity is only 250 words or about a page, but I have to understand the program and G-Power before I can write even a word!
Comments»
Great… I’m planning on doing the G-Power section (its #10 for me, in 9103-QNP) tonight… and now I’m really dreading it! I got it downloaded this weekend, and it appeared to be fine. i guess time will tell.
Okay…I’m on this assignment now….any advise for me as I proceed?
Nikia, I sent you an email, with two documents attached that were very helpful to me. For others reading this - be sure to read all of the help documents on the G-Power download website. Those will show you how to run G-Power and explain the choices available.
Hi, thanks for the insights, but I’m still not understanding what the G Power exercise is about. What do I need to write about? I don’t really have any data from my study to run at this time.
I’ve looked at much of the on line literature, but I’m not sure what I’m looking at.
What did you end up writing about?