spring course outline

Soc. 3155, Section 90: Quantitative Research Methods and Analysis

Spring 2008

Class Meets: 6:00-9:40 p.m. TH in Cina 202

Instructor: Susan Janssen Office Hours: 10:00 – 11:30 Tues. and 5:20-5:40 T, Th

sjanssen@d.umn.edu

http://www.d.umn.edu/~sjanssen 324 Kirby Plaza (218) 726-8767

Textbook: Healey, Joseph. Statistics: A Tool for Social Research. (7th OR 8^th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. OR

Computer, Software, and Calculator Options: Computer work using SPSS is required for this class. A student version of this software is packaged with some versions of the text and can be installed on any IBM-PC system (to my knowledge, it does not work on MAC systems). A full version of SPSS is also available to CLA students at no charge. It may be downloaded from the ITSS web site at http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/software/spss/. A calculator is required for homework assignments and tests. An inexpensive model that can perform basic mathematical operations will suffice. There is no need to spend more than $10-$15 on a calculator.

Web page and handouts: Handouts and other information for this course may be found at: http://www.d.umn.edu/~sjanssen. Links to required handouts are provided at the end of this syllabus.

Course Description and Objectives: Computation and interpretation of inferential statistics is the main objective. Sampling distributions, estimation, hypothesis testing, and hypotheses of difference and association will be covered. Multivariate analysis, including the concepts of interaction and control will be introduced. Understanding statistical concepts and drawing conclusions from numerical data will be emphasized. This course should prepare the student to be an informed consumer of statistics and will serve as excellent preparation for graduate level research methods courses as well as for using research methods and statistics in the workplace.

Prerequisites: This is the second course in the sociology research methods sequence. In order to understand the material in this class, you will need to have a good background in research methods and descriptive statistics. You should have completed Soc. 2155, or Soc. 2001 and Soc. 3151, or equivalent course(s). You should know how to calculate and interpret some basic descriptive statistics, including measures of central tendency, variability, and association.

In-Class Activities:

1. Lectures -.Lectures will cover the same material as the textbook, as well as additional material. Students who attend class regularly, take careful notes, and ask questions almost always do better on homework and exams than those who do not. This course covers a broad range of statistical material. For some people, considerable effort outside of class may be required. Because of the cumulative nature of the material, it is essential that students keep up with the reading assignments and homework. If you think you are falling behind or if you have difficulty with a concept or topic, you are encouraged to get help immediately.

2. Homework: Problems from the book and elsewhere will be assigned at regular intervals. Each assignment will include computer work. Depending on the schedule for the evening, time may be made available to work on homework or ask questions. Students are encouraged to work together; up to four persons may turn in a group paper. Homework does not need to be typed, but must be written neatly. If I can't read it easily, I will deduct points. Additional terms of the homework policy are outlined below.

3. Exams: The first three exams will be a combination of closed-book multiple choice questions and open-book problem-solving questions. Each exam will be worth 75 points. The lowest of these three scores will be dropped. If you miss an exam, the resulting “0" will be considered your lowest score. The final will be a take-home format. You must take the final regardless of your scores on the first three exams - the final exam score may not be dropped.

4. Group Project and Presentation: You will work with a small group of 3-4 persons to create a scholarly research project and presentation. You will select a topic, conduct library research, formulate hypotheses, analyze data to test hypotheses, and present your results to the class. Handouts covering the specific requirements of the project can be found on the class web page. Time will often be made available to meet with your group in class, but you should plan on doing outside work on your own. The group work represents 20% of your grade in this class; therefore it is important that you make a commitment to your group, communicate with them each week, and carry out your responsibilities to the best of your ability.

Grades: will be determined according to the following point distribution and scale:

Point Distribution:		Grading Scale:
Homework (5 @ 30 pts.)	150	450 or more pts.	A- to A
Exams (Best 2 of 3 @ 75 pts.)	150	400-449 pts.	B- to B+
Final Exam	100	350-399 pts.	C- to C+
Group Project Proposal	25	300-349 pts.	D to D+
Group Presentation	75	under 300 pts.	F
Total possible points	500

Course policies and information:

Homework policy: All assignments are due at class time or earlier and must be printed on paper. Do not send me assignments by email unless you are specifically instructed to do so. I will not accept late assignments, except as follows: on the course web page, you will find a "late assignment coupon." This entitles you to turn in one assignment (with the exception of the final project and final exam) up to 1 week late. Within that time frame, I will accept the assignment with the coupon for full points. You are only allowed to use this coupon once. If you don't use it at all, you will receive 10 points extra credit.

Expectations and Classroom Etiquette: I expect students to attend class regularly, pay attention, make every effort to keep up and turn in assignments on time, ask for help if needed, and be polite and respectful in the classroom. Distracting behaviors such as walking in late, talking during lectures, ringing or vibrating cell phones, text messaging, or using personal computers for non-class purposes will not be tolerated. In turn, you can expect me to come to class prepared, know the material I teach, be available during office hours, provide up-to-date information on your progress, listen to your concerns, provide help when needed, and respect you as a student and human being.

Academic Integrity: It is expected that students will know and follow all aspects of the university's academic integrity policy . The consequences of violating this policy may include a lower or failing grade on a particular assignment, a lower or failing grade in the course, or sanctions imposed by the university.

Incompletes: In order to get a grade of "I" for this class, at least half of the work must be completed with a passing grade and an incomplete agreement form must be turned in.

Withdrawals: You are free to withdraw from the class for any reason up to the end of the eighth week. After that, departmental permission is required. We do not consider failing grades to be grounds for withdrawal from a course. It is recommended that you evaluate your situation before the end of the eighth week.

Class Cancellation: If class is unexpectedly canceled due to inclement weather, instructor illness, or any other reason, you may assume that the activity scheduled for that day will take place at the next class session. This includes exams.

Final exam: The final is a take-home exam that will be due on or before 6 p.m. on May 15. No extensions will be granted.

Special Arrangements: Individuals who have any disadvantage or disability, either temporary or permanent, which might affect their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to inform the instructor at the start of the term. Adaptations of methods, materials, or testing may be made as necessary to provide for equitable participation.

CALENDAR

Date	Topic	Chapters
1/24	Explaining variation in social phenomena	5, 6
	Variability, probability, and sampling distributions

1/31	Sampling distributions and estimation Meet group, select research topic	6, 7

2/7	Estimation and hypothesis testing	7, 8

2/14	Hypothesis testing: one sample mean	8

2/21	Hypothesis testing: one sample mean Homework 1 due (sampling distributions, estimation and hypothesis testing) Review for exam	8

2/28	Exam 1: Covers first five weeks and chapters 5-8 Hypotheses of difference: two sample groups	9

3/6	Hypotheses of difference: two sample groups	9

3/13	Hypotheses of difference: Analysis of Variance Homework 2 due (tests of differences between two groups) Research proposal due	10

3/20	NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK

3/27	Hypotheses of association: nominal and ordinal variables Measures of strength of association Homework 3 due (analysis of variance)	11, 12 (skim), 13, 14.1 -14.5

4/3	Exam 2: Covers weeks 6-9 and chapters 9, 10, and selected sections of 11-14 Multivariate analysis: contingency tables	17

4/10	Association: interval and ratio variables Correlation and bivariate regression Homework 4 due (analysis of contingency tables)	15

4/17	Correlation and regression (continued) Begin Multiple Regression (if time)	16, handouts
4/24	Multiple regression

5/1	Exam 3: Covers weeks 10-13 and chapters 15, 16, 17 Homework 5 due (regression)

5/8	Group presentations, wrap-up and review

5/15	Take-home final exam due by 6 pm - no extensions