Statistics for Sociological Research

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

.We frequently encounter statements or claims based on statistics, such as: "Women earn less than men," "The American population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse," or "Married people are healthier than unmarried people." On what information are these statements based? What kinds of evidence support or refute such claims? How can we assess their accuracy? This course will show students how to answer these sorts of questions by interpreting and critically evaluating statistics commonly used in the analysis of social science data. Hands-on data analysis and interpretation are an important part of the course. You will gain the skills to conduct quantitative data analysis using a statistical software package. You should finish the course with the ability to interpret, question, and discuss statistics accurately and with an understanding of which type of statistic is appropriate for different kinds of data and research questions. No prior statistical knowledge is required. This course is ideal for students interested in the social and/or life sciences as well as business and/or law. Students are strongly encourage to take the optional course SOC 31903 , "Tutorial for SOC Statistics"