California State University-Stanislaus

Research Analysis SOCL 4030

W 16:00-19:00

Spring 2005

Instructor: Dr. O'Brien

Office: Classroom Building 213A

Phone: 667-3478

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 9:30 to 11:30 and Friday 9:00 to 10:00

PURPOSE OF COURSE:

This course is designed to introduce you to statistics used in the social sciences. The course will cover basic statistics such as crosstabulations and frequencies. In addition, more robust statistics such as correlations and regression analysis will be covered. The objective of the course is to give students the basic tools needed to complete their own data analysis. This will assist in future graduate school plans, as well as future employment. In addition, course will cover the basic skills to understand typical professional journals in the field, and to be able to apply a basic statistical knowledge in reading professional publications.

TEXTBOOKS:

SPSS 11.0 Guide to Data Analysis by Marija Norusis

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

1) A total of twelve weekly assignments from work assigned in computer lab. Each assignment will be a short practice of running a statistical technique discussed in class. Assignments can be located at www.csustan.edu/sociology/obrien.

2) Successful completion of final comprehensive examination of all materials covered through-out the semester.

Learning Goals and Objectives

1) Student will demenstrate an awareness of different statistical techniques.

2) Student will show abilty to intrepret SPSS output for various statistical techniques.

3) Student will demenstrate the ability to understand discipline journals.

FINAL GRADE COMPUTATION:

12 assignments 20 points each 240 A= 500-450

Participation 100 B= 449-400

Final examination 160 C= 399-350

Total points 500 D= 349-300

F= <300

Page Two

* OTHER GRADING POLICIES:

1) In assigning final grades to students, their attendance and participation are important in this class. Attendance points will be given based on random attendance days through-out the semester.

2) Assignments will only be accepted on the day they are due. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

3) Given the nature of this class i.e., computer driven, and assignment oriented, grades of incomplete can not be given.

4) The above course outline and procedures are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.

Semester Plan

Week Topic SPSS Reading

1 Introduction Chapter 1

Research Article

2 Building data files Appendix E

3 Using SPSS Chapter 2

Computers Chapter 2

Frequencies/Graphs Chapter 3

Central Tendency

4 Measures of dispersion Chapter 4

Standard deviation Chapter 5

Z-scores

5 Crosstabulation Chapter 7 and 8

Combinations of variables

Data Transformations Appendix B

6 Sampling Chapter 10

Chi-square Chapter 17 and 18

7 SPRING BREAK NO CLASSES March 27-April 1

8 Probability Chapter 12 and 13 and 14

T-Test

9 Outside assignment WSSA

10 Lambda/Gamma Chapter 19

11 Hypothesis testing

Correlations Chapter 21

12 Regression Chapter 20 and 21 and 22

13 Research article

Final Exam review

Final Exam May 18, 2005