Advanced applied statistics

Study Board of Political Science, Journalism, Sociology, and European Studies

Teaching language: English
EKA: B380012102, B380012112
Censorship: Second examiner: None
Grading: Pass/Fail
Offered in: Odense
Offered in: Autumn
Level: Master

Course ID: B380012101
ECTS value: 10

Date of Approval:


Duration: 1 semester

Course ID

B380012101

Course Title

Advanced applied statistics

Teaching language

English

ECTS value

10

Responsible study board

Study Board of Political Science, Journalism, Sociology, and European Studies

Course Responsible

Name Email Department
Sune Welling Voigt swh@sam.sdu.dk

Offered in

Odense

Level

Master

Offered in

Autumn

Duration

1 semester

Mandatory prerequisites

Students are expected to have taken at least a course on social scientific method and a prior quantitative methods class. While having experience with Stata will be to the benefit of the student, it is not a mandatory prerequisite

Recommended prerequisites

.

Aim and purpose

Social scientists study complex phenomena. In order to study these phenomena using quantitative information, one has to use suitable statistical methods that take into account the properties of the research question, research design and the data. The purpose of this course is to introduce the students to select advanced statistical methods which are often used in the social sciences, and to give the students the skills required to implement these methods in Stata.


In many cases, the theoretical and empirical interests of the students result in both interesting and complex topics of study, but using only basic statistical methods would make it impossible to analyze these questions, or would result in less valid (or even invalid) results and conclusions. The main objective of this course is to teach students how they can overcome these problems, which gives the students the possibility and skills to employ advanced statistical methods in answering their research questions. The course builds and extends on previous knowledge acquired in courses such as Methods 2 and 3 for political science students, and it is substantively relevant for students studying e.g. electoral or political behavior, public policy evaluation, comparative politics, or who have a strong interest in methodology.

Content

The teaching language is English, unless all students (and the course’s teachers and student instructors) are proficient in Danish (in this case the teaching language will be changed to Danish).

The course will start off with a refresher on basic statistics and linear regression (with selected extensions), and thereafter cover selected advanced statistical methods such as factor analysis, logistic regression models, and models for complex data structures (e.g., data with spatial and temporal variation, or data with spatial variation at two or more levels).

Learning goals

To meet the goal of the course, students at the end of the course should have:
Knowledge that enables the student to:
• Understand the principles of statistical analysis and the assumptions behind select statistical methods.
• Discuss assumptions behind select statistical methods.
• Evaluate whether these assumptions are realistic and suggest solutions for breaches.
• Interpret results from selected statistical methods.

Skills that enables students to:
• Analyze and critically assess scientific articles that use the advanced statistical methods taught in the course.
• Select appropriate statistical methods for own research questions.

Competences that enables students to:
• Implement advanced statistical methods using Stata.
• Correctly select and interpret the quantities of interest resulting from the application of these methods and link these results to research goals.

Literature

The curriculum for the course will be up to 1,200 pages. The course will use chapters from various textbooks. Examples:
- Agresti, A. & Finlay, B. (2009). Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences (4. Udg.).
- Gelman, Andrew & Hill, Jennifer (2007). Data Analysis Using Regression and Multilevel/Hierarchical Models.

In addition, 1-3 applied articles will be assigned for most lectures. Students are expected to read these materials prior to the class.

Teaching Method

The course consists of 15 lectures (of two hours duration) where we introduce, discuss (based on the readings), and work with a particular statistical method or model. Lectures are usually held once a week. Concurrently with the lectures are held 7 labs (of two hours duration) where students work with empirical applications.


There will also be additional learning activities in order to further establish the empirical relevance of the methods introduced during the course. These activities can, for example, take the form of guest lectures or be in the form of methods/statistics related puzzles based on material from the media (e.g., trends in party support) or cases on methodological issues. The students may be required to present their findings to the class. 


Besides attending the lectures and labs (30+14 hours in total), and each week requires, on average, 8 hours of preparation work from the students (120 hours in total). In addition to this, preparation for mandatory assignment will be approximately 25 hours (up to 100 hours in total).


Lectures and labs44

Preparation for lectures and labs88

Add-ons3

Mandatory assignments65

Preparation for exam30

Exam40

Total270


Workload

2 hours each week for 15 weeks

Examination regulations

Exam

Name

Exam

Timing

Ordinary examination in January. Re-examination in February.

Evaluation at the re-exam can be changed.

Rules

-3 is not allowed, 00 is not allowed

Tests

Exam

Name

Exam

Form of examination

Project report

Censorship

Second examiner: None

Grading

Pass/Fail

Identification

Student Identification Card - Exam number

Language

Danish, English

Duration

one week

Length

Max. 10/15 pages (10 when written alone and 15 pages when written with one other student) (spacing, appendix notes, tables and figures included, but table of contents, list of literature, appendix with syntax and appendix with definitions and descriptive statistics excluded) 

Examination aids

All exam aids are permitted.

Assignment handover

Via Blackboard.

Assignment handin

Via Blackboard.

ECTS value

9

Additional information

The student chose the language for the assignment, which can be either Danish or English.


EKA

B380012102

3 mandatory assignments

Name

3 mandatory assignments

Form of examination

Compulsory assignment

Censorship

Second examiner: None

Grading

Pass/Fail

Identification

Student Identification Card - Exam number

Language

Danish, English

Duration

not available

Length

the maximum number of pages for each assignment will be announced by the course’s teachers (but will not be more than 10 pages and usually less). 

ECTS value

1

Additional information

Students have to pass three mandatory assignments which can be written alone or in cooperation with one other student. The language for each assignment can be either Danish or English and will be announced by the course’s teachers (you can except that at least one of the assignments will be in English). 

Re-exam in February 2019 (at the same time as re-exam for the Take-home exam). A third attempt may be attended the next time the course is offered on the basis of renewed exam registration. 

EKA

B380012112

External comment

NOTE - This course is identical with the former course 97011301,  Advanced applied statistics / Advanced applied statistics.

Used examination attempts in the former identical course will be transferred.
Courses that are identical with former courses that are passed according to applied rules cannot be retaken.

The student is automatically registered for the first examination attempt when the student is registered for a course or course element with which one or more examinations are associated. Withdrawal of registration is not possible, and students who fail to participate in an examination have used one examination attempt, unless the University has made an exemption due to special circumstances. 

Courses offered

Offer period Offer type Profile Education Semester
Fall 2018 Optional Studieordning for kandidatuddannelsen i statskundskab gældende for studerende optaget efter 1/9-15 Master of Science (MSc) in Political Science | Odense
Fall 2018 Optional Studieordning for kandidatuddannelsen i samfundsfag, centralfag, 2018, ved et sidefag på 75 ECTS: Master of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences | Odense
Fall 2018 Optional Studieordning for kandidatuddannelsen i samfundsfag, centralfag, 2018, ved et sidefag på 45 ECTS, for studerende der har haft Economic Principles (soc) eller tilsvarende på deres bacheloruddannelse Master of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences | Odense
Fall 2018 Optional Studieordning for kandidatuddannelsen i samfundsfag, centralfag, 2018, ved et sidefag på 75 ECTS, for studerende der har haft Economic Principles (soc) eller tilsvarende på deres bacheloruddannelse Master of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences | Odense
Fall 2018 Optional Studieordning for kandidatuddannelsen i samfundsfag, centralfag, 2018, ved et sidefag på 45 ECTS Master of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences | Odense

Teachers

Name Email Department City
Sune Welling Voigt swh@sam.sdu.dk
Vera Winter winter@sam.sdu.dk

URL for Skemaplan