Organize or tabulate your data according to the variables you are measuring. This will give you an overall picture of what your data will look like so you can begin to see patterns, including whether or not the data match your research questions.
Conduct tests to look at descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics are basic calculations that describe the main characteristics of your data. Commonly used descriptive statistics include: frequency or how many times something occurred; percentages; and measurements of central tendency. Measurements of central tendency tell you information such as the mean or average of a group of numbers.
Conduct advanced methods of statistical analysis. These methods generally require computer software and a good understanding of statistics to interpret the results. There are three basic calculations that researchers look for: correlation, regression and analysis of variance. These calculations will tell you if the variables are related, what the nature of these relationships is and if they are significant.
Summarize your data by developing tables, graphs and charts to summarize your data findings.
Communicate your findings. When your analysis is complete, share your data with others. There are several ways to share or disseminate your findings, including written articles and oral presentations at conferences or on the web.