Political Science 771
"Public Data Analysis"

Spring 2010

A note for the visitor

This page reflects a syllabus in development.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me;

if you see any "issues" -- please contact me!

Date:

 Topic and Assignments:

Jan. 11
Introduction -- contact me at:   tompkins@mailbox.sc.edu  ASAP...
Introduction to Course Tools:   Blackboard, Excel.
Topic:   Data and Measurement  (samples and populations)
Tools:   Spreadsheets and Data Entry (Part One) 

Jan. 25
Topic:   Data and Measurement  (samples and populations)
Topic:    Communicating with Data
                Graphics and graphical displays
Class resources:
U.S. Population Census spreadsheet (state population estimates since 2000).
Dot plots (more material coming)
Assigned listening:   Mike Pesca, "The Median vs. the Mean in the Age of Average",
story on NPR (July 19. 2006).   Link to story.
Assigned reading:    Energy Information Administration, "EIA Guidelines for Statistical Graphs"
Updated -- Read other entries on site as relevant...
Link to Survey Monkey site

Feb. 1
Data Exercise -- First Data Exercise is due today.
Assigned Reading:    David Garson, "Validity" (link to web site for PS 765 on validity)
Read sections on "internal validity", "construct validity",
"content validity" and "criteria validity"
See also "Internal Validity Tutorial", at Centre for Psychology, Athabasca Univ.
Discussion board Exercise (Blackboard) -- more information coming.

 Feb. 8
Topic:   Data and Measurement
               Graphics and graphical displays (part one)
 Links:  Box Plots Tutorial   Link 
               Dot Plot   Link One;  Backup solution (don't use unless suggested) Link Two


Feb. 15
Watch  Demo (from help menu in Excel):   Make sense of your data using PivotTable reports.
Topic:   Graphics and graphical displays (part two)
Communicating with Data (contingency tables)
Link to Tutorial on Computing Chi-Square Test of Independence.   (Link Here)
Topic:   More about Data Displays. 
              More about relationships among variables.
Topic:    Validity
Assigned Reading:    David Garson, "Validity" (link to web site for PS 765 on validity)
Reread sections on "internal validity", "construct validity",
"content validity" and "criteria validity"
Topic:   More about Validity -- Common Research Designs
Assigned Reading:    David Garson, "Validity" (link to web site for PS 765 on validity)
Read sections on "statistical validity" and "external validity"
Also research designs:
Be prepared to explain these designs and discuss the "threats to validity"
associated with them.
David Garson, "Case Studies"   (link to web site for PS 765, "Case Studies")
David Garson, "Research Designs"
You should know these designs:   "Classic Experimental Designs",
One-Group Posttest-Only Design;
Posttest-Only Design with Nonequivalent Comparison Groups Design;
One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design;
Two-Group Pretest-Posttest Design Using an Untreated Control Group;
Simple Interrupted Time Series Design;
Interrupted Time Series with a Nonequivalent
                      No-Treatment Comparison Group

Feb. 22
March 1
Topic:   Graphics and graphical displays (part two)
Communicating with Data (contingency tables)

Link to demostration of a sampling distribution -- and the law of large numbers...
 Link to Tutorial on Computing Chi-Square Test of Independence.   (Link Here)
Study Session for First Quiz
Link to Study Guide
Remember that a sample test will be available (in Blackboard) for your preparation.

March 15
First Quiz

March 1,
and
March 22 

Topic:    Simple Regression Analysis.
Demonstration of Least Squares Regression.  
Assigned Reading:   Samuel L. Baker, "Simple Regression Theory I".   Link to Demonstration
Tools:   Spreadsheets and Data Entry (Part Two)
               Regression.
Assigned reading:   
Malcolm Gladwell, "Million-Dollar Murray", The New Yorker, Feb. 13, 2006,.   (The "Power Law")
We'll be discussing more about "regression analysis" tonight.   You may wish to read Professor Samuel Baker's (ASoPH) tutorial on simple regression analysis.   We will not go into the full detail he covers, but this is a good introduction.    Special thanks are also due Professor Baker for the use of the special tools.

 
More about Regression and Interpretation

 
The Internet:   Search and Capture
                           Content Delivery -- constructing a web page -- part one
Directions:   Use the College of Charleston's Web Server (Link Here)
Assigned Reading:    at:   http://www.htmltutorials.ca
Lesson One:    Introduction
Lesson Two:  Getting Started
Lesson Three:   Basic Tags
Lesson Four:    Emphasizing Text and Headers

 
Note:   Second Half of Class devoted to Second Quiz.

The Internet:   Search and Capture
                           Content Delivery -- constructing a web page -- part two
Assigned Reading:    at:   http://www.htmltutorials.ca
Lesson Four:    Emphasizing Text and Headers
Lesson Five:   Creating Lists and Indenting
Lesson Six:   Creating Page Links, Buttons and e-mail
Lesson Eleven:    Basic Tables

Also assigned (skim relevant portions):   usability.gov site



Special/Spatial Data...   GIS applications

 
Continuing spatial data exercise...

 
Last Day of Class
Prepare for Final Exam
Course Evaluations Distributed

 
Final Examination (time frame to be negotiated)
 


Document URL:  http://www.cla.sc.edu/GINT/faculty/tompkins/Spring2010/PS771/Assignments.html
  Published on February 22, 2010.
  Maintained by Professor Tompkins;     Contact Professor Tompkins by e-mail at: tompkins.mark@sc.edu.
  © Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.