Quantitative Data Analysis

Catalog description

A The purpose of this class is to prepare you as a future producer and evaluator of high-quality quantitative research - whether as a social scientist, as a decision-maker in a corporate setting, or as a designer and evaluator of social policy. Extending theoretical concepts from introductory Social Statistics coursework, this class provides students with hands-on quantitative analysis experience using existing quantitative research. We survey, and learn to replicate and evaluate, various types of regressions, structural equation models, and longitudinal analyses. Additionally, students learn to critically engage with and evaluate social network analyses, geo-spatial analyses and mixed method research methodologies. Students will complete a capstone project that builds on their existing research, ending the semester with a manuscript able to be presented at a formal conference. Counts as an elective in the Data Science interdisciplinary minor. Satisfies a major or interdisciplinary minor requirement in Communication Studies. Satisfies Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement. Prerequisites & Notes A semester of college-level introductory statistics course in Sociology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, or Mathematics, such as SOC 201, ECO 204, POL 182, or MAT 341.