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Political Research and Statistics

Political Research and Statistics. 8/28/2012. Readings. Bring your cd's and a flash drive to class on Thursday Pollack Textbook Introduction Ch : 10 Thinking Empirically, Thinking Probabilistically Ch : 1 The Measurement of Concepts (6-13 ). Opportunities to discuss course content.

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Political Research and Statistics

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  1. Political Research and Statistics 8/28/2012

  2. Readings • Bring your cd's and a flash drive to class on Thursday • Pollack Textbook • Introduction • Ch: 10 Thinking Empirically, Thinking Probabilistically • Ch: 1 The Measurement of Concepts (6-13)

  3. Opportunities to discuss course content

  4. Office Hours • The University Requires faculty hold 5 hours a week • I hold 14 hours a week

  5. Office Hours • When • Monday, Wednesday and Friday 11-1 • Tuesday and Thursday 8-12 • And by appointment • Where • Doyle 226 • Phone – 428-1294 • Email- brianws@stedwards.edu

  6. About the class

  7. Important things from the Syllabus • Attendance • Homework • The Paper

  8. About the Computers • Use them for class, not for personal business • If you can only use them for evil, turn them off.

  9. The Textbooks The Textbook The Workbook 4th Edition (older editions will not work) • 4th Edition (older editions are different but similar…)

  10. We need to cover a lot of ground • This is the only methods/stats class for POLS and ENSP • It counts for your computer class • Math is not hard, if it was you wouldn’t be in college

  11. Course overview In this class we cover the essential statistics used in the social sciences  • The goal of this course is to prepare you for a career in the social sciences or a related field.  • The class begins with research design and culminates with multivariate regression. 

  12. Course Overview • Methodological proficiency is ascertained in three ways • computer competency assignments • statistical computation and interpretation homework • in-class examinations.  • The Class culminates with a semester length research paper in which you formulate and empirically test a hypothesis using the appropriate methodology.

  13. Clearly Stated learning Outcomes

  14. Course Learning Objectives • Students will learn the research methods commonly used in behavioral sciences and will be able to interpret and explain empirical data. • Second, as this course fulfills the Computational Skills portion of the University degree plan, students will achieve competency in conducting statistical data analysis using the SPSS software program. 

  15. Course Learning Objectives • Students will learn the basics of polling and be able to analyze and explain polling and survey data.  • Students will learn the basics of research design and be able to critically analyze the advantages and disadvantages of different types of design.  • Students will be able to use the statistical tools learned in class to test a political research hypothesis and present these results in a research paper.

  16. Thinking Analytically in the social sciences

  17. We focus on empirical research • actual objective observation of political and social phenomena.   • Things that can actually be measured

  18. The Opposite of Empirical is Normative • judgments about what should be. • The answers depends on who is answering the question. • Normative statements are unscientific.

  19. Thinking scientifically

  20. What is a Social Science • The application of empirical research in which the researcher adheres to certain well-defined principles for collecting, analyzing and evaluating political information • Examples • Psychology • Sociology • Economics • Political Science • Public Policy

  21. What is Science? • It has to do with the way questions are formulated “Political Research” • And Tests these through a set of rules and forms “and statistics”

  22. The Goal is Scientific Knowledge • Study society scientifically and empirically • Develop answers to questions about society

  23. Making Knowledge Scientific

  24. Objective • We Look at things without bias • What is wrong with this survey?

  25. Balanced • Good research examines the question from more than one point of view

  26. Evidence • Good Research is Supported by Evidence • The 50 million uninsured Americans for example

  27. Scientific Knowledge is Non-Normative • Based on What We Think • The pepsi challenge

  28. Subject to Empirical Verification • Nixon-Kennedy Debate • Top Party Schools • If you can’t measure/prove it, it isn’t scientific knowledge

  29. Generalizable • Applies to more than one case • Covers a wide range of phenomenon • Presidential Prediction models are coming out

  30. Scientific Laws in the social sciences • Why so few? • Unit of analysis • What we study

  31. Good and Bad research

  32. Good Social Science Research • Pertains to the discipline • Significant • Simple

  33. Bad Social Science research • Not-germane to the discipline • Normative • Based on discrete facts • Who won the 2008 Election?

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