Data Analysis (SOC 379) 3 Semester Hours Department of Social and Cultural Analysis

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1 - 1 - Data Analysis (SOC 379) 3 Semester Hours Department of Social and Cultural Analysis Spring, 2012 Section 098 MWF 9:00-9:50 Ferguson G78 Section 099 MWF 11:00-11:50 Ferguson G78 Instructor: Robert Szafran Office: Liberal Arts North 337 Phone: Fax: rszafran@sfasu.edu Office Hours: Monday 10 to 11, 12 to 1 Tuesday 1:15 to 3:15 Wednesday 10 to 11, 12 to 1 Thursday 1:15 to 3:15 Friday 10 to to 1 (LINC) Catalog Course Description 379. Collection, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of social data. Student Learning Outcomes After successfully completing this course, a student will be able to 1) describe basic concepts in data analysis such as level of measurement, central tendency, dispersion, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, sampling distributions, sampling error, significance level, hypothesis testing, confidence interval, and margin of error; 2) explain what information can be gained from each of the following: Cronbach s alpha, Cramer s V, tau-b, Pearson s r, multiple correlation, R 2, beta, regression residuals, and chi-square residuals; 3) determine what types of statistical analysis are appropriate for a particular research question and a particular data set; 4) use SPSS to conduct statistical analyses; 5) take raw data and create an SPSS data set; 6) draw appropriate conclusions from statistical analyses; 7) present results in written form that are clear, correct, and relevant to the research question; and 8) correctly complete all the steps in t-statistic, F-ratio, and chi-square hypothesis tests.

2 - 2 - Book and Software The required text for the course is Answering Questions with Statistics by Robert Szafran, SAGE Publications, 2012, ISBN I recommend that you rent IBM SPSS Statistics (Base or Standard or Premium) GradPack 20.0 and install it on your own computer. However, SPSS is also available in the Steen Library PC Computing Lab. The following IBM website lists four online vendors for the gradpacks: As you compare vendor offers, consider version (18.0, 19.0, or 20.0), package (base, standard, or premium), method of delivery (download or shipped CD), length of rental (6 months, 1 year, or 2 years), and price. About SPSS A word of encouragement here. SPSS is not a computer language. It does not require command statements. It is menu-driven. (You simply select what you want to have done from a list of options.) SPSS is very user-friendly. Although it is available in the LINC computer lab in the library, many students purchase their own copy. Here are the Windows and Mac system requirements if you are thinking of renting your own copy. Operating system Platform Hardware Windows Microsoft Windows XP (Professional, 32-bit) or Vista (Home, Business, 32- or 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- or 64-bit)* *Windows 2000 is not a supported platform. Intel or AMD x86 processor running at 1GHz or higher Memory: 1GB RAM or more recommended Minimum free drive space: 800MB DVD drive XGA (1024x768) or higher-resolution monitor For connecting with IBM SPSS Statistics Server, a network adapter running the TCP/IP network protocol Mac Apple Mac 10.6x (Snow Leopard) or 10.7 (Lion) Intel processor (32- and 64-bit) Memory: 1GB RAM or more recommended Minimum free drive space: 800MB DVD drive XGA (1024x768) or higher-resolution monitor

3 - 3 - Homework Sets Eight times during the semester you will have homework problems to turn in. The homework problems are selected from the questions at the end of the chapters in the text. A later page in the syllabus lists the homework problems and when they are due. The problem sets are due by 4 p.m. on the day they are due. Each homework set is graded from 0 to 100. The average on your seven best homework sets determines 10% of your final grade. Reports During the semester you will have three reports to do. Each report will present you with a research question and a data set. You will use the data set to answer the research question. Your answer to the research question will take the form of a written report approximately three pages (1,000 words) in length plus supporting computer output. The reports are due by 4 p.m. on the day they are due. Preliminary drafts of reports can be submitted to the instructor two class periods before they are due for comments and suggestions. Each report determines 5% of your final grade. Together, they determine 15%. Exams There will be five exams. The first, second, and fourth exams cover recent readings and class material. Each of these exams will determine 15% of your final grade. The fifth exam is a comprehensive final. It will be over all of the material covered during the semester. It determines 20% of your final grade. These exams will consist of a variety of types of questions including multiple choice, short answer, simple calculations, and interpretation of computer output. The third exam is modeled after a research report. You will have to decide which SPSS procedures you would use to address a particular research question and draw conclusions from provided computer output. It determines 10% of your final grade. You may bring a calculator if you wish to any exam but any calculations will be quite simple. (You may not use a calculator built into a cell phone.) No blue books or scantrons are needed for any of the exams.

4 - 4 - Grading Procedure Your grades will be posted on Blackboard. Your final grade for the course will be based on the following system: Final Average Grade to 100 A up to B up to C up to D 0 up to F Your grade is determined entirely by your performance on the homework, reports, and exams. There are no extra-credit opportunities! Any appeals of grades should be made within one week of the date the grades are posted. If you can't afford a bad grade in this course, begin now working harder than you think you need to -- not in May! Other Information Missed Homework Sets. The homework sets are to be turned in by 4 p.m. on the day they are due. In the case of late homework: There will be no penalty if you are able to document an excuse that you could not have reasonably anticipated. Such documentation must be presented within one week of the homework due date. Homework (without a documented excuse) turned in after it is due but before the start of the next class meeting will not receive a grade higher than 75. Homework (without a documented excuse) turned in after the start of the next class meeting will receive no points. Missed Reports. The reports are to be turned in by 4 p.m. on the day they are due. Each day a report is late will mean a ten point deduction from the grade earned on the assignment. There will be no penalty if you are able to document an excuse that you could not have reasonably anticipated. Such documentation must be presented within one week of the missed assignment. Missed Exams. Persons who for any reason miss the first exam may take a make-up exam on Friday, April 27, at 1:30 p.m. Persons who for any reason miss the second exam may take a make-up exam on Friday, April 27, at 2:30 p.m. Persons who for any reason miss the fourth exam may take a make-up exam on Friday, April 27, at 3:30 p.m. Persons who for any reason miss the third exam may take a make-up exam on Friday, April 27, at 4:30 p.m. These make-up exams will be of a similar format as the original exams. Persons presenting documentation for why it was not possible to take the scheduled make-up exams or the scheduled final exam will be allowed to make-up those exams at a later

5 time with no penalty. Other persons missing the scheduled make-up exams or the scheduled final exam will be allowed to make-up those exams at a later time but will have 25 points deducted from their score as a late penalty. Writing Emphasis Course Credit. SOC379 is designated by the College of Liberal and Applied Arts as a writing emphasis course. The reports and homework problems requiring verbal interpretations of output will total more than 3,000 words. You will have an opportunity to obtain instructor comments and suggestions on preliminary drafts of your reports. The reports, homework sets, and research report based 4 th exam, together, account for 35 percent of your grade. Attendance Policy. Your attendance is not directly factored into your course grade. However, missing class may result in your missing questions on exams and information about the homework sets and reports, all of which do directly factor into your course grade. Attendance will be monitored but only to understand why some persons are doing poorly in the course. Appealing Grades. Any appeals of homework, report, or exam grades should be made within one week of the date those grades are posted. Academic Accommodations for Disabled Students. To obtain disability related accommodations, alternate formats, and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), Human Services Building, Room 325, / (TDD), as early as possible in a semester. Once verified, ODS will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be provided. Failure to request services in a timely manner may delay your accommodations. For additional information, go to The Grade of WH. If a student cannot complete the course work because of unavoidable circumstances, a grade of WH (grade withheld) may be assigned. In such cases, students must complete the work within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which they receive a WH, or the grade automatically becomes an F. If students register for the same course in future terms, the WH will automatically become an F and will be counted as a repeated course for the purpose of computing the grade point average. Note that a grade of WH is given at the discretion of the course instructor and department chair. Both must agree that a WH is appropriate. Furthermore, only students who have completed almost all of the course work will be considered for a grade of WH. Forwarding Your . Any correspondence for this course will be sent to your SFA address. If you normally use some other address, be sure to forward mail from your university address to the address you actually check. Doing this will forward not only your e- mail for this course but also any official university sent to you. You can easily set a forwarding address by going to the following web site:

6 - 6 - Academic Dishonesty. Academic integrity is a responsibility of all university faculty and students. Faculty members promote academic integrity in multiple ways including instruction on the components of academic honesty, as well as by abiding by university policy on penalties for cheating and plagiarism. SFA describes cheating and plagiarism in the following manner: Academic dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes but is not limited to (1) using or attempting to use unauthorized materials to aid in achieving a better grade on a component of a class; (2) the falsification or invention of any information, including citations, on an assigned exercise; and/or (3) helping or attempting to help another in an act of cheating or plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own. Examples of plagiarism are (1) submitting an assignment as if it were one's own work when, in fact, it is at least partly the work of another; (2) submitting a work that has been purchased or otherwise obtained from an Internet source or another source; and (3) incorporating the words or ideas of an author into one's paper without giving the author due credit. All graded work for this course should represent individual effort. Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and may be punished by failure on the homework set/report/exam, failure in the course, and/or expulsion from the university. The university s full policies on academic dishonesty and academic appeals by students are at and How SOC379 Supports the Sociology Curriculum. The Department of Social and Cultural Analysis has designed the sociology major curriculum to enable students to achieve seven broad learning outcomes ( Data Analysis (SOC379) directly contributes to three of those program learning outcomes (PLOs): PLO 2. The student will be able to identify the principles of good social scientific research design. Such principles include validity, reliability, precision in measurement, and sampling methodology. (supported by Student Learning Outcome 1, 3) PLO 4. The student will be able to apply sociological knowledge and skills to a variety of settings. (supported by Student Learning Outcomes 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) PLO 7. The student will be able to analyze a data set using statistical techniques and draw conclusions from the results. (supported by Student Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8) How SOC379 Supports the Social Work Curriculum. By addressing knowledge, values, and skills associated with quantitative data analysis, SOC379 supports the following BSW generalist practice behaviors (GPB): GPB 21. Students will use practice experience to inform scientific inquiry. GPB 22. Students will use research evidence to inform practice. Classroom Rules. Bring no food into the classroom. Turn cell phones off during class. Do not text message during class.

7 - 7 - Some Important University Dates. Jan 23 last day to add a course Mar Spring holidays Mar 21 last day to drop a course Apr 5-9 Easter holiday (classes resume 4 pm on April 9) Apr 24 last day to withdraw from the University (grades of WP and WF given) May 12 graduation Semester Outline Date Topic and Reading Assignment Assignment Due Jan 18 W Introduction (Chapter 1) Jan 20 F Essential Concepts from Research Methods (Chapter 1) Jan 23 M (in LINC) A Simple SPSS Session (in LINC) (Chapter 2) Jan 25 W Creating A Data Set (Chapter 2) Jan 27 F Creating A Data Set (Chapter 2) Jan 30 M Frequency Tables and Univariate Graphs (Chapter 3) Homework #1 (ch2) Feb 1 W Measures For Central Tendency & Dispersion (Chapter 4) Feb 3 F Measures For Central Tendency & Dispersion (Chapter 4) Feb 6 M Creating New Variables (Chapter 5) Homework #2 (ch3 & ch4) Feb 8 W Practice Exam Feb 10 F Exam (chapters 1-5) Feb 13 M Reports and Review of 1 st Exam Feb 15 W Comparing Group Means (Chapter 6) Feb 17 F Crosstab Tables and Multivariate Graphs (Chapter 7) Feb 20 M Crosstab Tables and Multivariate Graphs (Chapter 7) Homework #3 (ch5 & ch6) (optional) draft of report #1 Feb 22 W Measures Of Association (Chapter 8) Report #1 Feb 24 F Measures Of Association (Chapter 8) Feb 27 M Bivariate Regression (Chapter 9) Feb 29 W Review Reports Homework #4 (ch7 & ch8) (optional) draft of report #2 Mar 2 F Multiple Regression (Chapter 10) Report #2

8 - 8 - Date Topic and Reading Assignment Assignment Due Mar 5 M Multiple Regression (Chapter 10) Mar 7 W Practice Exam Homework #5 (ch9 & ch10) Mar 9 F Exam (chapters 6-10) -- spring break -- Mar 19 M Sampling Distributions (Chapter 11) and Review of 2 nd Exam (optional) draft of report #3 Mar 21 W Normal Distributions (Chapter 11) Mar 23 F Normal Distributions (Chapter 11) Report #3 Mar 26 M Hypothesis Testing (Chapter 12) Mar 28 W One-Sample T-Tests (Chapter 12) Mar 30 F Review Reports Homework #6 (ch11 & ch12) Apr 2 M Exam (SPSS procedures & output interpretation) Apr 4 W Paired Samples T-Tests (Chapter 13) - Easter holiday - Apr 11 W Independent Samples T-Tests (Chapter 13) Apr 13 F One-Way Analysis Of Variance (Chapter 14) Apr 16 M Two-Way Analysis Of Variance (Chapter 14) Apr 18 W Practice Exam Homework #7 (ch13 & ch14) Apr 20 F Exam (chapters 11-14) Apr 23 M Chi-Square Tests (Chapter 15) Apr 25 W Chi-Square Tests (Chapter 15) Apr 27 F Other Inferential Tests (Chapter 16) make-up exams in afternoon Apr 30 M Recognizing Types of Hypotheses Homework #8 (ch15 & ch16) May 2 W May 4 F May 9 W Recognizing Stats When You Read Them Review & Conclusion - Exam Week - Exam 9:00 section s exam is 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 11:00 section s exam is 10:30 a.m. to 12:30

9 - 9 - Homework Sets Homework sets are due by 4 p.m. on the date they are due. Problems appear at back of chapters in text. All these problems (except those from chapter 11) require you to use SPSS. Turn in your SPSS output along with your answers. Set # Due Problems 1 Jan 30 Ch 2: problems 12 and 14 2 Feb 6 3 Feb 17 4 Feb 27 5 Mar 7 6 Mar 30 7 Apr 18 8 Apr 30 Ch 3: problems 12 and 14 Ch 4: problems 16 and 20 Ch 5: problems 14 and 18 Ch 6: problems 10 and 12 Ch 7: problems 8 and 10 Ch 8: problems 14 and 20 Ch 9: problems 12 and 14 Ch 10: problems 12 and 14 Ch 11: problems 16 and 22 Ch 12: problems 18 and 20 Ch 13: problems 14 and 16 Ch 14: problems 14 and 18 Ch 15: problems 12 and 14 Ch 16: problems 8 and 12

10 Keeping Track of Your Grade calculate the average of your seven best homework set grades (in other words, drop one grade and average the rest) = homework set #1 = homework set #2 = homework set #3 = homework set #4 = homework set #5 = homework set #6 = homework set #7 = homework set #8 your course average is the average of the following entries = exam #1 = exam #1 = exam #1 = exam #2 = exam #2 = exam #2 = exam #3 = exam #3 = exam #3 = report #1 = report #2 = report #3 = exam #4 = exam #4 = average of seven best homework sets = average of seven best homework sets = final exam = final exam = final exam = final exam 10