Numbers: B2+

Collins

HarperCollinsPublishers

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First edition 2013

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You can trust Collins COBUILD

The 4.5-billion-word Collins Corpus is the world’s largest database of the English language. It is updated every month and has been at the heart of Collins COBUILD publishing for over 20 years. All definitions provided in the glossary boxes in this book have been taken from the Collins COBUILD Advanced Dictionary.

Source ISBN: 9780007507153

Ebook Edition © April 2014 ISBN 9780008101848

Version: 2014-07-01

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Chapter 1     Getting started

look at numbers in everyday life

understand the purpose and use of statistics

learn key terms for working with numbers

learn the basics about spreadsheets

practice referring to and labelling graphics in writing

Chapter 2     Starting primary research

practise formulating research questions

understand the principles of sampling

learn how to formulate a hypothesis

Chapter 3     Research methods

understand some common research methods

understand when to use interviews, questionnaires and focus groups

understand the advantages and disadvantages of common research methods

Chapter 4     Questionnaires

understand how to write a questionnaire

practise forming polite question forms

understand different sampling techniques

understand the pros and cons of distribution methods

Chapter 5     Interviews

understand how to ask good interview questions

learn how to structure different questions

learn about the interviewer effect

learn how to use reported speech

Chapter 6     Percentages and fractions

learn how to work with percentages

learn how to understand fractions

compare fractions and percentages

use verbs and nouns and dependent prepositions

Chapter 7     Averages

learn why we use averages

learn about different types of averages

learn when to use frequency tables to find averages

learn how to choose the right average to use

Chapter 8     Presenting your data

understand the use of different visual information

use the present simple, past simple and present perfect to describe graphics

use the active and passive voice to describe graphics

Chapter 9     Describing change

represent change visually

use verbs of change

use adverbs describing change

use adjective and noun combinations to describe change

Chapter 10  Making comparisons

use graphics to compare information

use comparative structures

use superlative structures and cautious language

Chapter 11  Making connections

understand correlation

understand the effect of sample size

express links and connections

describe facts and data

Chapter 12  Working with collected data

learn how to present survey results

avoid producing misleading results from diagrams

describe cause and effect

express generalizations and specifics

use language of argumentation

use evaluative language

learn how to write conclusions

Further reading

The grammar of fractions

Glossary

Answer key

About the Author

About the Publisher

Introduction

Collins Academic Skills Series: Numbers will give you the skills you need for doing research, collecting data, presenting it, using numbers and appropriate language to describe it, and working with the collected data.

Designed to be used on a self-study basis to support English for Academic Purposes or study skills courses, it is intended for students on pre-sessional or foundation courses as well as for first-year undergraduate students.

The book has twelve chapters covering the key stages of the research process from start to finish. You will learn how to:

choose the right research methods

use basic maths skills

present your data

analyse your data

At the back of the book there is:

a list of useful books in Further reading

helpful information in The grammar of fractions

a Glossary of key terms

a comprehensive Answer key

Chapter structure

Each chapter includes:

Aims – These set out the skills covered in the chapter.

A self-evaluation quiz – By doing this you are able identify what you already know on the subject of the chapter and what you need to learn.

Information on academic guidelines on how to develop academic skills – These sections will help you understand university practices and expectations so you know what is required.

Practical exercises – These help you to develop the skills to succeed at university. You can check your answers at the back of the book.

Tips – Key points are highlighted for easy reference and provide useful revision summaries for the busy student.

Glossary – Difficult words are glossed in boxes next to where the word appears in the chapter. There is also a comprehensive Glossary at the back of the book.

Remember sections – This is a summary of key points for revision and easy reference.

Glossary boxes

Where we feel that a word or phrase is difficult to understand, we have glossed this word/phrase. All definitions provided in the glossary boxes have been taken from the COBUILD Advanced Dictionary. At the end of the book there is a full alphabetical list of the most difficult words from the book for your reference.

Using Numbers

You can either work through the chapters from Chapter 1 to Chapter 12 or you can choose the chapters and topics that are most useful to you. The Contents page will help in your selection.

Study tips

Each chapter will take between one and three hours. Take regular breaks and do not try to study for too long. Thirty to sixty minutes is a sensible study period.

Regular study is better than occasional intensive study.

Read the chapter through first to get an overview without doing any exercises. This will help you see what you want to focus on.

Try the exercises before checking the Answer key.

After doing the exercises in the book, try them again using your own research topic and reading materials. If possible, ask a more experienced colleague or friend to give you feedback on your work.

All university departments are different. Use the information in the book as a guide to investigating your own university department.

Write questions you can ask to find out how your department expects you to do research and collect and present data.

There is no one correct way of doing research and working with collected data. Use your experience of doing the exercises to learn what works best for you. Adapt the suggestions in this book to suit your learning style and context.

Learning to do research and work with data is an on-going process, which means you need to practise the same skills many times. Revise regularly.

Other titles

Also available in the Collins Academic Skills Series: Writing, Lectures, Research, Presenting, and Group Work.

1 Getting Started

Aims

look at numbers in everyday life

understand the purpose and use of statistics

learn key terms for working with numbers

learn the basics about spreadsheets

practise referring to and labelling graphics in writing

Quiz

Self-evaluation

Read the statements below. Circle the answers that are true for you.

Numbers and mathematics are very important in our everyday lives because we use them frequently when we manage our finances, go shopping, make travel plans, convert currency, follow instructions for a recipe or take measurements when we are building and creating things. If we carry out an academic study or investigation, then we need to use a branch of mathematics known as statistics which involves collecting and organizing data, making sense of our information and presenting findings.

Glossary

data You can refer to information as data, especially when it is in the form of facts or statistics that you can analyse. In American English, data is usually a plural noun. In technical or formal British English, data is sometimes a plural noun, but at other times, it is an uncountable noun.

This chapter begins by reminding us of the calculations and vocabulary that are used when we are working with money and taking measurements. It then provides an introduction to statistics, explaining where data is used in different subject areas and describing different categories of data. With a more technical focus, the chapter then describes how to use a computer program known as a spreadsheet which can help with storing and presenting data. Finally, an explanation is given of the use of graphics in academic writing, highlighting ways to refer to graphics in your text so that you can comment on your data and findings effectively.

Numbers in everyday life

In this section, we will explore some of the ways in which numbers are used in everyday situations. We will investigate taking measurements and working with money.

Money

It is important to know how to work with money so that you can:

Recognize the value of amounts of money

Estimate your expenditure

Often money calculations will involve the use of percentages and fractions. You will learn about these in Chapter 6.

Glossary

estimate If you estimate a quantity or value, you make an approximate judgement or calculation of it.

expenditure

Expenditure is the spending of money on something, or the money that is spent on something.

value

In mathematics, the value of a symbol or letter is the amount represented by it.

The value of a digit in a number depends on its position in the number. In the following amounts of money, the digit 4 has a different meaning:

A place value diagram may help to remind you how to recognize the value of amounts of money. The highest number in the group is the maximum and the lowest is the minimum.

Estimating can be a useful skill when you are calculating your monthly expenditure because you can work out approximately how much your total bill will be without adding up all of the individual values. Estimating involves rounding prices up or down to the nearest ten pounds, dollars or euros so that you can work out the total more easily.

This list shows the actual expenditure with the estimated value for each cost:

So, when we add up the actual prices the aggregate total price for our shopping is £835.85 and the estimated cost is £840.

Glossary

round up/down If you round an amount up or down, you change it to the nearest whole number or the nearest multiple of 10, 100, 1,000, and so on.

aggregate

An aggregate amount or score is made up of several smaller amounts or scores added together.

Measurements

Taking measurements is about finding a number that shows the amount or size of something. We are most often interested in measuring temperature, length, speed, time, capacity and mass. To make an accurate measurement, you would need to choose an appropriate measuring device and use the correct type of units on a scale. Here are some examples:

Glossary

capacity The capacity of a container is its volume, or the amount of liquid it can hold, measured in units such as litres or gallons.

mass

In physics, the mass of an object is the amount of physical matter that it has.

Exercise 1

Match the correct unit of measurement with each item to be measured.