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Social Sciences Research Methods Programme course timetable

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Mon 6 Nov 2017 – Mon 20 Nov 2017

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Monday 6 November 2017

09:00
Researching Organisations (1 of 3) Finished 09:00 - 11:00 Judge Business School, Lecture Theatre 1

This course provides an introduction to some of the methodological issues involved in researching organisations. Drawing on examples of studies carried out in a wide range of different types of organisation, the aim will be to explore practical strategies to overcome some of problems that are typically encountered in undertaking such studies.

Topics covered include:

  • Session 1: "Getting In" - types of organisations; the research process; gaining access
  • Session 2: "Getting on" - interviews and observation as sources of data; ethics in principle and in practice
  • Session 3: "Getting out" - reporting; fulfilling the bargain; maintaining contact
10:00
Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-2) (1 of 4) Finished 10:00 - 12:00 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 1

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-1) (1 of 4) Finished 10:00 - 12:00 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 1

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

14:00
Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-1) (2 of 4) Finished 14:00 - 16:00 Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

16:00
Reading and Understanding Statistics (3 of 4) Finished 16:00 - 18:00 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 1

This module is for students who don’t plan to use quantitative methods in their own research, but who need to be able to read and understand published research using quantitative methods. You will learn how to interpret graphs, frequency tables and multivariate regression results, and to ask intelligent questions about sampling, methods and statistical inference. The module is aimed at complete beginners, with no prior knowledge of statistics or quantitative methods.

Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-2) (2 of 4) Finished 16:00 - 18:00 Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

Tuesday 7 November 2017

14:00
Introduction to Stata (Michaelmas) (1 of 2) Finished 14:00 - 18:00 Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site

The course will provide students with an introduction to the popular and powerful statistics package Stata. Stata is commonly used by analysts in both the social and natural sciences, and is the statistics package used most widely by the SSRMC. You will learn:

  • How to open and manage a dataset in Stata
  • How to recode variables
  • How to select a sample for analysis
  • The commands needed to perform simple statistical analyses in Stata
  • Where to find additional resources to help you as you progress with Stata

The course is intended for students who already have a working knowledge of statistics - it's designed primarily as a "second language" course for students who are already familiar with another package, perhaps R or SPSS. Students who don't already have a working knowledge of applied statistics should look at courses in our Basic Statistics Stream.

Wednesday 8 November 2017

10:00
Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-3) (1 of 4) Finished 10:00 - 12:00 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 4

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-4) (1 of 4) Finished 10:00 - 12:00 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 4

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

14:00
Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-3) (2 of 4) Finished 14:00 - 16:00 Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

16:00
Psychometrics (3 of 4) Finished 16:00 - 18:00 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 5

An introduction to the design, validation and implementation of tests and questionnaires in social science research, using both Classical Test Theory (CTT) and modern psychometric methods such as Item Response Theory (IRT). This course aims to enable students to: be able to construct and validate a test or questionnaire; understand the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of existing tests and questionnaires; appreciate the impact and potential of modern psychometric methods in the internet age.

Week 1: Introduction to psychometrics
a. Psychometrics, ancient and modern. Classical Test Theory
b. How to design and build your own psychometric test

Week 2: Testing in the online environment
a. Testing via the internet. How to, plus do’s and don’ts
b. Putting your test online

Week 3: Modern Psychometrics
a. Item Response Theory (IRT) models and their assumptions
b. Advanced assessment using computer adaptive testing

Week 4: Implementing adaptive tests online
a. How to automatically generate ability items
b. Practical

Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-4) (2 of 4) Finished 16:00 - 18:00 Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

Monday 13 November 2017

09:00
Researching Organisations (2 of 3) Finished 09:00 - 11:00 Judge Business School, Keynes House (KH107)

This course provides an introduction to some of the methodological issues involved in researching organisations. Drawing on examples of studies carried out in a wide range of different types of organisation, the aim will be to explore practical strategies to overcome some of problems that are typically encountered in undertaking such studies.

Topics covered include:

  • Session 1: "Getting In" - types of organisations; the research process; gaining access
  • Session 2: "Getting on" - interviews and observation as sources of data; ethics in principle and in practice
  • Session 3: "Getting out" - reporting; fulfilling the bargain; maintaining contact
10:00
Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-2) (3 of 4) Finished 10:00 - 12:00 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 1

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-1) (3 of 4) Finished 10:00 - 12:00 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 1

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

14:00
Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-1) (4 of 4) Finished 14:00 - 16:00 Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

16:00
Reading and Understanding Statistics (4 of 4) Finished 16:00 - 18:00 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 1

This module is for students who don’t plan to use quantitative methods in their own research, but who need to be able to read and understand published research using quantitative methods. You will learn how to interpret graphs, frequency tables and multivariate regression results, and to ask intelligent questions about sampling, methods and statistical inference. The module is aimed at complete beginners, with no prior knowledge of statistics or quantitative methods.

Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-2) (4 of 4) Finished 16:00 - 18:00 Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

Tuesday 14 November 2017

14:00
Introduction to Stata (Michaelmas) (2 of 2) Finished 14:00 - 18:00 Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site

The course will provide students with an introduction to the popular and powerful statistics package Stata. Stata is commonly used by analysts in both the social and natural sciences, and is the statistics package used most widely by the SSRMC. You will learn:

  • How to open and manage a dataset in Stata
  • How to recode variables
  • How to select a sample for analysis
  • The commands needed to perform simple statistical analyses in Stata
  • Where to find additional resources to help you as you progress with Stata

The course is intended for students who already have a working knowledge of statistics - it's designed primarily as a "second language" course for students who are already familiar with another package, perhaps R or SPSS. Students who don't already have a working knowledge of applied statistics should look at courses in our Basic Statistics Stream.

Wednesday 15 November 2017

10:00
Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-3) (3 of 4) Finished 10:00 - 12:00 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 4

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-4) (3 of 4) Finished 10:00 - 12:00 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 4

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

14:00
Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-3) (4 of 4) Finished 14:00 - 16:00 Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

16:00
Psychometrics (4 of 4) Finished 16:00 - 18:00 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 5

An introduction to the design, validation and implementation of tests and questionnaires in social science research, using both Classical Test Theory (CTT) and modern psychometric methods such as Item Response Theory (IRT). This course aims to enable students to: be able to construct and validate a test or questionnaire; understand the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of existing tests and questionnaires; appreciate the impact and potential of modern psychometric methods in the internet age.

Week 1: Introduction to psychometrics
a. Psychometrics, ancient and modern. Classical Test Theory
b. How to design and build your own psychometric test

Week 2: Testing in the online environment
a. Testing via the internet. How to, plus do’s and don’ts
b. Putting your test online

Week 3: Modern Psychometrics
a. Item Response Theory (IRT) models and their assumptions
b. Advanced assessment using computer adaptive testing

Week 4: Implementing adaptive tests online
a. How to automatically generate ability items
b. Practical

Basic Quantitative Analysis (BQA-4) (4 of 4) Finished 16:00 - 18:00 Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site

This module follows on from Foundations in Applied statistics, and will teach you the basics of common bivariate techniques (that is, techniques that examine the associations between two variables). The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to apply these techniques to the analysis of real data.

Techniques to be covered include:

  • Cross-tabulations
  • Scatterplots
  • Covariance and correlation
  • Nonparametric methods
  • Two-sample t-tests
  • ANOVA
  • Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.

Monday 20 November 2017

09:00
Researching Organisations (3 of 3) Finished 09:00 - 11:00 Judge Business School, Keynes House (KH107)

This course provides an introduction to some of the methodological issues involved in researching organisations. Drawing on examples of studies carried out in a wide range of different types of organisation, the aim will be to explore practical strategies to overcome some of problems that are typically encountered in undertaking such studies.

Topics covered include:

  • Session 1: "Getting In" - types of organisations; the research process; gaining access
  • Session 2: "Getting on" - interviews and observation as sources of data; ethics in principle and in practice
  • Session 3: "Getting out" - reporting; fulfilling the bargain; maintaining contact
10:00
Doing Multivariate Analysis (DMA-1) (1 of 4) Finished 10:00 - 12:00 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 1

This module will introduce you to the theory and practice of multivariate analysis, covering Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and logistic regressions. You will learn how to read published results critically, to do simple multivariate modelling yourself, and to interpret and write about your results intelligently.

Half of the module is based in the lecture theatre, and covers the theory behind multivariate regression; the other half is lab-based, in which students will work through practical exercises using statistical software.

To get the most out of the course, you should also expect to spend some time between sessions having fun by building your own statistical models.

14:00
Doing Multivariate Analysis (DMA-1) (2 of 4) Finished 14:00 - 16:00 Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site

This module will introduce you to the theory and practice of multivariate analysis, covering Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and logistic regressions. You will learn how to read published results critically, to do simple multivariate modelling yourself, and to interpret and write about your results intelligently.

Half of the module is based in the lecture theatre, and covers the theory behind multivariate regression; the other half is lab-based, in which students will work through practical exercises using statistical software.

To get the most out of the course, you should also expect to spend some time between sessions having fun by building your own statistical models.

16:00
Power Analysis Finished 16:00 - 18:00 Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site

This two-hour short course will introduce students to the concept of power analysis (also known as power calculations), providing an easy and intuitive rationale behind the technique, as well as hands-on practice in how to perform power analysis in Stata.

Power analysis is an important skill for anyone doing statistical research; it is particularly useful when writing a grant proposal, and is sometimes required by funders. It involves calculating the number of observations required to undertake a given statistical analysis. If a sample is too small, significant associations may not be detectable, even though they may be present in the population from which the sample is drawn. Power analysis is useful when:

  • You plan to collect data for research, and want to calculate how many subjects are needed
  • You need to plan how much time and/or money to allow for a research project
  • Your face budget constraints in your research, and need to establish whether the research is feasible
  • You are writing a grant proposal which asks for a power calculation