Data Analysis in Social Science III
| Module title | Data Analysis in Social Science III |
|---|---|
| Module code | SOC3094 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Alexey Bessudnov (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
Basic knowledge of statistics and data analysis is often not enough for dealing with more complicated problems in the social sciences, as well as in market research, applied policy analysis, and data-driven journalism. This module introduces you to more advanced techniques for social data analysis using the statistical programming language R and in particular the tidyverse framework. These techniques are especially useful while working with large longitudinal data sets. While some statistical theory is covered in this module, the discussion of statistical concepts is generally non-mathematical and intuitive and is based on numerous examples from social sciences. The module assumes familiarity with basic descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis.
POL/SOC1041 and POL/SOC2077 are the pre-requisites for this module.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of this module is to introduce you to more advanced quantitative techniques for the analysis of social data. More specifically, you will learn how to clean, transform, reshape and visualise data in R, a statistical programming language, and tidyverse, a collection of tidyverse packages. You will also learn the fundamentals of programming in R, such as conditional statements, loops and functions. After completing this module, you will be able to independently conduct data analysis in R. Employers in many industries value this skill.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. clean and prepare your data for statistical analysis in R;
- 2. conduct statistical analysis using selected methods at the advanced level in R;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. apply statistical data analysis techniques to social science problems;
- 4. clearly explain the results of statistical analysis in substantive terms and relate them to substantive social science problems;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. report the results of statistical analysis in writing in a way that would be understood by non-specialists; and
- 6. use general-purpose statistical software (such as R) for the analysis of social data at the advanced level
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content will vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some of the following themes:
- Data types and structures in R
- Data import with readr and data.table
- Data manipulation with dplyr
- Data visualisation with ggplot2
- Iteration
- Functions
- Reproducible research and effective presentation of statistical results
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activity | 22 | 11 x 2 hour lectures / computer lab sessions |
| Guided independent study | 78 | Reading and preparation for lectures and lab sessions |
| Guided independent study | 50 | Reading, preparation and writing of the statistical report |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formative statistical exercises in class | 6 exercises (about 15 minutes each) | 1-6 | Peer and tutor verbal feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 short data analysis assignments to be submitted on Github Classroom | 50 | Data analysis exercises, about 500 words each assignment | 1-6 | Written feedback provided on Github |
| Final statistical report | 50 | 2000 words | 1-6 | Written feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final statistical report | Statistical report (2000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| 5 short data analysis assignments | 5 short data analysis assignments | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
G.Grolemund, H.Wickham. R for Data Science. O’Reilly (2017).
P.Spector, Data Manipulation with R, Springer (2008).
A.Unwin, Graphical Data Analysis with R, CRC Press (2015).
N.Matloff, The Art of R Programming, No Starch Press (2011).
W.Chang, R Graphics Cookbook, O’Reilly (2013).
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
“Data Analysis in Social Science 3”: http://abessudnov.net/dataanalysis3/
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | POL/SOC1041 and POL/SOC2077 |
| Module co-requisites | POL/SOC2077 if not taken before |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 30/03/2016 |
| Last revision date | 26/08/2018 |
