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Statistical Research Methods (312-0-20)

Instructors

Jaye Seawright
847/467-1148
Office Hours: http://www.polisci.northwestern.edu/people/core-faculty/jason-seawright.html

Meeting Info

Annenberg Hall G15: Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

How much political violence is there in the average American community, and why is there more in some places than in others? Why can’t Democrats and Republicans just get along? Does a country’s colonial experience shape its future political and economic possibilities? These questions, and many more, have been addressed by statistical research in political science. This course explores quantitative/statistical research methods in the social sciences, with the goal of determining what makes a good descriptive or causal inference about politics. In this course, we will review the basics of statistical theory and quantitative research design, and then we will proceed to carefully examine in practical terms how to carry out and particularly analyze a quantitative study in political science.

Throughout the quarter, you will work with a team on hands-on projects involving a real-world political-science research question and data set. In the process, you will learn not only how to evaluate other people’s statistical work, but also how to design, execute, and interpret your own statistical models. real-world political-science research question and data set. In the process, you will learn not only how to evaluate other people’s statistical work, but also how to design, execute, and interpret your own statistical models.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students will

  • be expected to design, implement, execute, and interpret their own research project in statistical social science;
  • present results in a clear and interpretable way using graphs and tables, and also interpret and critique the graphs and tables used in other people’s quantitative social science work;
  • explain the key assumptions behind common forms of statistical analysis in social science, and be able to perform common tests to check whether those assumptions are plausible in a given application;
  • identify the implications of statistical results for social science causal theories; and
  • clearly and concisely explain statistical results to an audience.

Teaching Method

lecture, group work, discussion section, hands-on exercises

Evaluation Method

Grades will be based on seven hands-on assignments (5% each for a total of 35%),

participation in projects and discussions in each class meeting (35%), and

a final group project (30%).

Class Attributes

Empirical and Deductive Reasoning Foundational Dis
Formal Studies Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Pre-registration -- Reserved for Political Science students until the end of preregistration, after which time enrollment will be open to everyone who has taken the prerequisites.

Associated Classes

DIS - University Hall 418: Thurs 5:00PM - 5:50PM

DIS - University Hall 412: Thurs 6:00PM - 6:50PM

DIS - 555 Clark 230: Fri 10:00AM - 10:50AM

DIS - University Library 5746: Fri 10:00AM - 10:50AM

DIS - 555 Clark 230: Fri 11:00AM - 11:50AM