Public-Use Data for Social Science Research

1 Course Unit

Public-use data are quantitative information obtained from surveys and other databases that are available for anyone to use at no cost. This course prepares students to work with public-use data to address social science research questions. Participants will become familiar with the origins, purpose, design, structure, and limitations of US and international public-use data to study individuals, families, neighborhoods, and institutions such as schools and state and national governments; acquire skills to design analytic samples and manage data for reproducibility and replicability; and apply a variety of quantitative methods to public-use data to answer illustrative research questions. 1 Course Unit