19mar99

Syllabus:

UCLA Sociology 113, "Statistical and Computer Methods in Social Research"

Professor: David D. McFarland

Web Pages for Spring 1999

Class meetings

Professor

David D. McFarland. Office: Hershey 2401, phone 825-6380. Messages may be left with secretaries in Hershey 2201, phone 825-1313. Office hours: TBA, and by appointment. Usually but not always available right after lecture for quick questions. Email: (1) First try the class Discussion Board; (2) mcfarland@soc.ucla.edu

TA

Sarah Burgard. 1215 Hershey. Mailbox in Hershey 2201. Office hours: TBA Email: (1) First try the class Discussion Board; (2) sburgard@ucla.edu

Course Description

Catalog Description: Continuation of course 18, covering more advanced statistical techniques such as multiple regression, analysis of variance, or factor analysis. Content varies. Students learn how to use the computer and write papers analyzing prepared data sets.

As the catalog description says, "Content varies". This quarter there will be no coverage of analysis of variance nor of factor analysis.

Spring 1999 Description: Computers as tools for analyzing data and reporting the results. Statistical analysis using multiple regression. Measurement scale properties of variables suitable for regression analysis. Networked computers as communication devices, repositories of large datasets, and information search tools.

The main part of the course this quarter will be on: (1) data from the General Social Survey (2) selected and downloaded via the World Wide Web and (3) analyzed by multiple regression and such related procedures as plotting of residuals (4) using STATA software (5) on personal computers. In addition there will be limited coverage of (6) some other reputable sources of data on the internet and (7) additional internet tools for accessing data and information. The course will also require, but provide little or no instruction on (8) use of a word processor to prepare and print the required research report.

This quarter, as previously, the course will be conducted in the Powell 320 CLICC classroom, which has each student seated at a computer workstation, as well as various other nice features. The computers are IBM-compatibles running Windows NT.

Prerequisites

Introductory sociology (Soc. 1) and introductory statistics (Soc. 18, Stat. 50, or equiv.).

This is not a first course in statistics. Do not be misled by the registrar's notation "No enforced requisites". All that means is that URSA doesn't check whether students have or have not met the prerequisites.

As defined in the registrar's dictionary, "No enforced requisites" does not mean "no prerequisite", only that the prerequisite is not sufficiently simple-minded for URSA to enforce it automatically. URSA is smart enough to understand "Soc 18", and could be programmed to lock out anyone whose UCLA record does not include that particular course. But that would be unfair to someone who took a similar course in another department, or to a transfer student who took a similar course at another college. Alas, URSA is not smart enough to understand "or equivalent".

Requirements

There will be one or more assignments or quizzes covering material from lectures and readings, plus one major project involving actual analysis of survey data. Each student will select variables from the General Social Survey, use those variables in multiple regression analysis, and write a paper interpreting the results. At various stages of the project, each student will be called upon for an oral or written progress report, telling how he or she is handling that particular aspect of his or her project. These progress reports will be graded, rather than having the entire project graded solely at the end. Since much of the assigned material is less than self- explanatory, regular attendance is important. A significant part of the course grade may be based on participation when called upon.

Late Assignments: It is important to keep up in a class whose content is cumulative, as this one is. Late assignments will be accepted, but with a heavy grade penalty of 40% per week. (A 10 point assignment due in Tuesday's lecture, for example, will be worth 8 points if turned in by Thursday's lecture, 6 points if turned in by the following Tuesday's lecture, etc.)

Books

The ASUCLA Store has been asked to stock the following books: