Sociology 5811: Intermediate Social Statistics
Fall 2005
Lecture:
Lab
Web Page: http://www.soc.umn.edu/~schofer/2005soc5811/home5811.htm
Instructor: Evan Schofer
Email: schof007@tc.umn.edu
Phone: (612) 624-4075
Office: 1127 Social Sciences
Office Hours:
TA: Wes Longhofer
Email: long0324@tc.umn.edu
Office: 1067 Social Sciences
Office Hours: Monday
Office Phone: 612 624-5296
Introduction
This course covers the basic principles of statistics necessary to conduct social science research. These include basic descriptive and inferential statistics, with emphasis on commonly used methods such as crosstabs, and OLS regression. In addition, the course laboratory provides instruction in the use of a statistical software package SPSS.
Most readings will be from one of the assigned texts. Additionally, you will receive handouts and other small reading assignments on occasion. Complete reading assignments prior to the class in which material will be covered. You will get much more out of lectures and labs if you have already finished the readings. We will be using Knoke, Bohrnstedt, and Mee’s Statistics for Social Data Analysis (4th edition) as our primary statistics textbook. It never hurts to have another text on hand to consult if you are having difficulty understanding certain concepts. Contact me if you need recommendations. Also, I have assigned Allison’s Multiple Regression: A Primer to provide supplemental material on regression.
Finally, I have assigned an optional text to assist you in using the software package SPSS: The SPSS Guide to Data Analysis 13.0. It also discusses statistical concepts, which may aid you in understanding course material. (Note: Earlier versions of this book are quite similar. You may be able to save money by borrowing or purchasing the Guide to Data Analysis for SPSS 12.0 or 11.0.)
Texts will be available from the bookstore, but can also be purchased at various on-line places, such as Amazon.
Assignments and Evaluation
Problem Assignments. Math problems will be assigned regularly. (20% of final grade)
Computer Tasks. There will be a number of exercises involving computer data analysis and the interpretation of results. (20% of final grade)
Mid-term Exam. There will be one mid-term exam. (30% of final grade)
Final Paper. There will be a final course project, in which you perform statistical analyses on data of your own choosing and write up the results. (30% of final grade)
Papers received late will be marked down one partial grade
(i.e., and A becomes an A-, C+ becomes a C) per day past the due date. Extensions will be granted for legitimate
reasons if requested in advance – before the due date. Missed exams cannot be re-taken unless
arrangements are made in advance, except in unusual circumstances (e.g.,
medical issues).
Your final grade will be computed based on the percentage weightings indicated. In the event of a borderline grade, I may use my discretion in adjusting grades based on course participation and effort (or lack thereof). Incompletes will not be given, except in unusual circumstances.
General Information
Check the course web site periodically. Urgent notices may be posted on the web site (e.g., if an assignment due date were to be extended). Also, the course web page will contain important information: copies of course handouts and assignments, data relevant to course assignments, etc.
Schedule & Reading Assignments
Week 1: Introduction / Data (Sept. 6, 8)
Bohrnstedt and Knoke, Chapter 1
Norusis, SPSS 12.0, Chapter 1, 2, 3 (skim)
Week 2: Descriptive Statistics (Sept 13, 15)
Lab: Introduction to
SPSS, Datasets,
Bohrnstedt and Knoke, Chapter 2
Norusis, SPSS 12.0, Chapter 4, 5
Week 3: Descriptive Statistics (cont'd) (Sept. 20, 22)
Lab: Frequencies and Descriptive Statistics
Norusis, SPSS 12.0, Chapter 6, 7
September 20: Problem Set #1 Due
Week 4: Sampling, Probability, Statistical Inference (Sept. 27, 29)
Lab: Frequencies and Descriptives; Start Probability
Bohrnstedt and Knoke, Chapter 3
Norusis, SPSS 12.0, Chapter 10, 11
September 27: Problem Set #2 Due
Week 5: Sampling, Probability, Statistical Inference (Oct 4, Oct 6)
Lab: Probability Distributions, Statistical Inference
Norusis, SPSS 12.0, Chapter 12
Week 6: Sampling, Probability, Statistical Inference (Oct. 11, 13)
Lab: Standard Error and T-tests
Norusis, SPSS 12.0, Start on Chapter 13, 14
October 11: Problem Set #3 Due
Week 7: T-Tests: Differences in Means and Proportions (Oct. 18, 20)
Lab: T-Tests
Bohrnstedt and Knoke, Chapter 4: 4.1 and 4.3
Norusis, SPSS 12.0, Chapter 13, 14, 15
Week 8: Midterm, ANOVA (Oct. 25, 27)
Lab: T-tests
Bohrnstedt and Knoke, Chapter 4: 4.2, 4.4-end
October 25:
Midterm Exam
Week 9: Crosstabs (Nov 1, 3)
Lab: Data Sources for Final Paper, ANOVA (if time allows)
Bohrnstedt and Knoke, Chapter 5: all
Norusis, SPSS 12.0, Chapter 8, 17
Week 10: Crosstabs, Start Correlation (Nov. 8, 10)
Lab: Crosstabs
Week 11: Correlation and Regression (Nov. 15, 17)
Lab: Wrap Up Crosstabs; Scatterplots and Correlation
Norusis, SPSS 12.0, Chapter 19
Bohrnstedt and Knoke, Chapter 6: 6.1-6.3
Week 12: Correlation and Regression (Nov 22, 24)
Lab: Correlation and Regression
Bohrnstedt and Knoke, Chapter 6: 6.4-end
Norusis, SPSS 12.0, Chapter 9, Start Chapter 20
Allison, Chapter 1, 2
November 24:
Thanksgiving. No Class.
Week 13: Correlation and Regression (Nov. 29, Dec. 1)
Lab: Correlation and Regression
Norusis, SPSS 12.0, Chapter 20, 21
Allison, Chapter 4, 5, 6
Bohrnstedt and Knoke, Chapter 8: 8.1-8.3
Week 14: Multivariate Regression (Dec. 6, 8)
Lab: Regression, Multivariate Regression
Norusis, SPSS 12.0, Chapter 22, 23
Allison, Chapter 3, 7, 8
Week 15: Multivariate Regression (Dec. 13)
Lab: Multivariate Regression & Diagnostics
Norusis, SPSS 12.0, Chapter 24
Allison, Chapter 9
December 13:
Final Paper Due
GRADES: University academic achievement
is graded under two systems: A-F (with pluses and minuses) and S-N. Choice of grading system and course level
(1xxx/3xxx/4xxx) is indicated on the registration website; changes in grade
scale may not be made after the second week of the semester. Some courses may be taken under only one
system; limitations are identified in the course listings. The Department of Sociology requires A-F
registration in courses required for the major/minor. University regulations prescribe the grades
that will be reported on your transcript.
A Represents achievement that is
outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements (4.00
grade points)
A-
3.67 grade points
B+ 3.33 grade points
B Achievement significantly above the level
necessary to meet course requirements (3.00 grade points)
B-
2.67 grade points
C+ 2.33 grade points
C Achievement that meets the basic course
requirements in every respect (2.00 grade points)
C-
1.67 grade points
D+ 1.33 grade points
D Achievement worthy of credit even though
it fails to meet fully the course requirements (1.00 grade point)
F Performance that fails to meet the basic
course requirements (0 grade points)
S Represents
achievement that is satisfactory, which is equivalent to a C- or better.
N No credit. Its use is now restricted to students not
earning an S on the S-N grade base
I Incomplete, a temporary symbol assigned
when the instructor has a "reasonable expectation" that you 1) can
successfully complete unfinished work on your own no later than one year from
the last day of classes and 2) believes that legitimate reasons exist to
justify extending the deadline for course completion. The instructor may set date conditions for
make-up work. If a course is not completed as prescribed or not made up as
agreed within the year, the I will lapse to an F if registered on the A-F grade
base or an N if registered on the S-N grade base.
W Official withdrawal from a course after
the end of the second week of the semester.
You must file a course cancellation request before the end of the sixth
week of the semester to ensure that the W, rather than the F, will be formerly
entered on your record.
FINAL EXAMINATIONS (see schedule on the Calendar web site at http://onestop.umn.edu/onestop/Calendars/FinalExams.html):
You are required to take final examinations at the scheduled times. Under certain circumstances, however, you may
request final examination schedule adjustment in your college office. Instructors are obligated to schedule make-up
examinations within the final examination period for students who have three
final examinations within a 16-hour period.
Instructors also are encouraged to reschedule examinations for students
with religious objections to taking an examination on a given day. You must submit your request for an
adjustment in your schedule at least two weeks before the examination period
begins. For assistance in resolving
conflicts, call the CLA Student Information Office at 625-2020. If you
miss a final, an F or N is recorded. You must obtain the instructor's
permission to make up the examination.
Final examinations may be rescheduled by the instructor only through the
official procedure for that purpose (as noted on the above web page). Final examinations may not be scheduled for
the last day of class or earlier or for Study Day. If an examination is rescheduled at the
instructor's request, and you have an examination conflict because of it, you
are entitled to be given the final examination at an alternative time within
the regularly scheduled examination period for that semester.
CLASS ATTENDANCE: As
a CLA student, you are responsible for attending class and for ascertaining the
particular attendance requirements for each class or department. You should also learn each instructor's
policies concerning make-up of work for absences. Instructors and students may consult the CLA
Classroom, Grading, and Examination Procedures Handbook for more
information on these policies (http://advisingtools.class.umn.edu/cgep/).
COURSE PERFORMANCE AND GRADING:
Instructors establish ground rules for their courses in conformity with
their department policies and are expected to explain them at the first course
meeting. This includes announcement of
office hours and location, the kind of help to be expected from the instructor
and teaching assistants, and tutorial services, if available. The instructor also describes the general
nature of the course, the work expected, dates for examinations and paper submissions,
and expectations for classroom participation and attendance. Instructors determine the standards for
grading in their classes and will describe expectations, methods of evaluation,
and factors that enter into grade determination. The special conditions under which an
incomplete (I) might be awarded also should be established. The college does not permit you to submit
extra work to raise your grade unless all students in the class are afforded
the same opportunity.
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR: You
are entitled to a good learning environment in the classroom. Students whose behavior is disruptive either
to the instructor or to other students will be asked to leave (the policies
regarding student conduct are outlined in the CLA
Classroom, Grading, and Examination Procedures Handbook on-line at http://advisingtools.class.umn.edu/cgep/).
SCHOLASTIC CONDUCT: The University Student Conduct Code defines
scholastic dishonesty as follows:
Scholastic Dishonesty means plagiarizing;
cheating on assignments or examinations; engaging in unauthorized collaboration
on academic work; taking, acquiring, or using test materials without faculty
permission; submitting false or incomplete records of academic achievement;
acting alone or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain
dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or professional endorsement; altering,
forging, or misusing a University academic record; or fabricating or falsifying
data, research procedures, or data analysis. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the
description above. It could also be said that scholastic dishonesty is any act
that violates the rights of another student with respect to academic work or
that involves misrepresentation of a student's own work. Also included would be
cheating on assignments or examinations, inventing or falsifying research or
other findings with the intent to deceive, submitting the same or substantially
similar papers (or creative work) for more than one course without consent of
all instructors concerned, depriving another of necessary course materials, and
sabotaging another's work. Should misconduct arise, the college's Scholastic
Conduct Committee in cooperation with the Office of Student Academic
Integrity/Student Judicial Affairs (OSAI/SJA) assists instructors in resolving
cases, reviews cases in which students believe themselves unfairly treated, and
checks for multiple offenses in different courses. Faculty members who suspect
students of scholastic misconduct must report the matter to OSAI/SJA. Students
cannot evade (intentionally or unintentionally) a grade sanction by withdrawing
from a course before or after the misconduct charge is reported. This also
applies to late withdrawals, including discretionary late cancellation (also
known as the "one-time-only drop").
A REMINDER OF RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
* SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT POLICIES *
GRADE
INFORMATION: Grades are due in the Office the Registrar within
3 business days after the final examination. No information regarding grades
will be released by the department office staff to anyone except designated
personnel in Records and college offices.
Students may access their own grades through their computer
account. They may do this by following
the directions on the One Stop web site at http://onestop.umn.edu/.
INCOMPLETES: It is the
instructor's responsibility to specify conditions under which an Incomplete (I)
grade is assigned. Students should refer
to the course syllabus and talk with the instructor as early as possible if
they anticipate not completing the course work.
Coursework submitted after the final examination will generally be
evaluated down unless prior arrangements are made in writing by
the instructor. University policy states
that if completion of the work requires the student to attend class in
substantial part a second time, assigning an “I” grade is NOT appropriate. Incompletes
are appropriate only if the student can make up the coursework independently
with the same professor.
MAKE-UP
EXAMINATIONS: Each semester the Sociology Department
arranges a special time for make-up examinations, with proctors arranged by the
department. This exam is mainly for
students who need to make up work from the previous semester, (i.e. quiz,
midterm, or final) and who have made arrangements with the instructor to do
so. A make-up session is held near mid
term each semester, including summer session. Information about the make-up
session is available from the front office (909 Soc Sci).
Students who wish to take the exam must contact the front office early in the
semester and get approval to attend the make-up session from their
instructor. Any other arrangements for
special examinations must be made directly with the instructor who taught the
course and who is responsible for approving and supervising the examination or
making individual arrangements.
GRADE
CHANGES: Grades properly arrived at are not subject to
renegotiation unless all students in the class have similar opportunities. Students have the right to check for possible
clerical errors in the assignment of grades by checking with the instructor
and/or teaching assistant.
Students with justifiable complaints about grades or
classroom procedures have recourse through well-established grievance
procedures. You are expected to confer
first with the course instructor. If no
satisfactory solution is reached, the complaint should be presented in writing
to the department associate chair and/or the department academic advisor (909
Soc Sci). If
these informal processes fail to reach a satisfactory resolution, other formal
procedures for hearing and appeal can be invoked. See the departmental advisor in 923 Social
Sciences to explore options.
SOCIOLOGY
PROGRAMS INFORMATION: The Sociology Department offers two options
for the Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree. We also have an Honors Program. Students interested in majoring in Sociology
should attend an information meeting about the major. Meetings are held about once a week. Sign up for a meeting in 909 Social Sciences.
Further information can be obtained from the following persons and offices:
General
information, Sociology Department, 909 Social Sciences - 624-4300
Sociology Honors Advisor, Professor Joachim Savelsberg,
1181 Social Sciences - 624-0273
Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Elizabeth
Boyle (through 8/05), 967 Social Sciences - 624-3343, or Penny Edgell (9/05 –
9/06), 1074 Social Sciences – 624-9828 and/or the Graduate Secretary, 931
Social Sciences - 624-2093