Course Overview

Political Data Analysis is a first course in modern methods of data analysis for the social and behavioral sciences. Although to the advanced statistics major this course will appear elementary, you are not required to have any prior exposure to statistics and/or mathematics except insofar as meeting the prerequisites – MATH 090 or MATH 092 or MATH 118. If you do not meet these prerequisites you must obtain my written permission to take this course for credit.  In this course I have two goals: (a) to provide you with a firm grounding in the rudiments of statistical theories and concepts, and (b) to train you to analyze real world data via computer software routines – chiefly SPSS for Windows. The tools you acquire in this class will become the building blocks for any future interactions you have with statistics in or out of academia. Thus, it is of utmost importance to both your sanity and your post-graduation earnings potential that you inform me as soon as you start feeling lost. Each session builds upon the preceding material and hence missed class sessions and/or incomprehension of any section of the material covered in class will cumulate and confuse you at an increasing rate. Work hard to build a strong foundation and if you do, you will come to see that data analysis can be fun, challenging and financially rewarding. Of course, where would we be if it were not exasperating as well! Consequently, patience, enthusiasm, an open and inquisitive mind, and a willingness to work hard, and a sense of humor will stand you in good stead.  If you have any conditions or challenges that may make it difficult for you to meet the requirements of this course or that may lead you to require extra time on assignments, let me know so that we can make the necessary arrangements.

Texts and Other Requirements

REQUIRED and RECOMMENDED TEXTS The text listed below is Required Reading for this course, though I will provide you with notes and handouts when necessary -- gratis. The text is available at the UIC BOOKSTORE.   Frederick J. Gravetter and Larry B. Wallnau. 2001. Essentials of Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. 4th Edition. New York: Wadsworth Publishing.    Although not mandatory purchase for this course, I urge you to have a look at Gonick, Larry and Woolcott Smith. 1993. The Cartoon Guide to Statistics. HarperCollins. ($12.00). This text has been described as a lifesaver for students, explaining humorously the meaning of Bernoulli trials, p-values, and other basic statistical concepts. You are also required to possess either a couple of 3.5” floppy disks (or one 100MB Zip disk), as well as a calculator capable of performing basic mathematical and statistical calculations (approximate cost is sub-$12.00). You are also expected to hold an active on- or off-campus email account. I will broadcast answer keys, handouts, and other relevant postings to the website for this course via email. Likewise, I expect you to email me if you will be absent or delayed, etc. The homepage for the course has the following URL . http://www.uic.edu/classes/pols/pols201/pols201.html  There are also a growing number of online statistics texts that explain the innards of statistics in an easy-to-understand manner, using everyday language and examples. A few of the better online statistics texts are linked below. You may be surprised at their usefulness.  Internet Glossary of Statistical Terms Statistics at Square One Introductory Statistics: Concepts, Models, and Applications The Data Analysis Briefbook Statistics: The Study of Stability in Variation Introduction to Probability Virtual Laboratories in Probability and Statistics HyperStat Online The Statistics Homepage The Statlets at Duke   DATA SETS AND CODEBOOKS From time to time I will provide you with data sets and codebooks. These data will be used either for in-class  exercises and/or for homework assignments. You will be able to download these from this webpage.

Grade Requirements

GRADE COMPOSITION  The grade you earn in this course is strictly a function of your ability to work hard and to persevere. Practice, practice, and practice; there is no other way known to mankind that bestows thorough understanding of the mechanics underlying the seemingly oblique formulae, or, for that matter, how they shed light on the phenomena of interest to us, researchers.  Four elements combine to fashion your grade – a set of ‘n’ homework assignments, two midterm exams, and one final exam. Specifically,   ‘n’ Homework Assignments together constitute 25 percent of your grade. Unless noted otherwise, each assignment matures at the time of our subsequent class session. Late assignments earn no grade.  The Midterm Exams and the Final exam each contribute 25 percent (for a total of 75 percent) toward your grade.  Note: the exams are not cumulative. Further, no points are awarded for class attendance since I assume you will not abscond without giving me prior notice of both the cause and date(s) of your absence(s). Failure to follow this convention will result in a penalty against your grade.      A FEW THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND  It is in your best interest to submit complete and correct  homework assignments on time.  Should you run into any difficulties while tackling homework assignments please see the TA or set up an appointment with me. DO NOT copy a colleague’s homework; the cnsequences will be self-evidenct come exam day. Practice solving additional problems given at the end of the chapter in the text.  All assignments come due on the specified date. I neither accept late submissions nor offer make-up homework assignments and exams.  I am in the department well nigh five-six days a week and best reached by e-mail. My email address is ruhil@uic.edu. If you do not possess an e-mail account, obtain one immediately.  This webpage serves as the clearinghouse for all course-related information -- for example, solutions to homework problems and answer keys to exams.  Check this webpage often. This webpage (see also the Course Calendar) has links to various online statistics texts and statistics-related applets. I have attempted to arrange some of these links, especially the applets, according to the topic under discussion in class. These tools have the potential to significantly enhance your learning process and I urge you to make full use of them.

Course Calendar

Since the emphasis in this course is on giving you a thorough understanding of rudimentary statistical theory, we shall set our own pace. Hence in the calendar below I do not demarcate specific portions of time during which particular topics will be covered.      Course Introduction Syllabus and Questionnaire  Section 1  Introduction  to Statistics, Frequency Distributions,Central Tendency and Variation Statistics, Science, and Observations Populations and Samples The Scientific Method and the Design of Experiments Scales of Measurement Discrete and Continuous Variables Statistical NotationFrequency Distribution Tables & Graphs  The Shape of a Frequency Distribution. Mean, Median, & Mode Range, Interquartile Range, Semi-Interquartile Range Variance Standard Deviation Z-scores Using Z-scores to standardize distributions Study Guide  Answer Key 1  Chapter 1  Homework Key 1  Chapter 2  Homework Key 2  Chaptert 3  Homework Key 3  Chapter 4  Homework Key 4  Chapter 5  Homework Key 5   Section 2  Z-Scores, Standardized Distributions, Probability and Sample Means, Hypothesis Tests with Two Samples Introduction to Probability Probability and Normal Distribution Percentiles, Percentile Ranks and Quartiles Samples and Sampling Error The Distribution of Sample Means Probability and the Distribution of Sample Means Introduction to Hypothesis Testing Introduction to the t Distribution The t statistic for an Independent-Measures design  Hypothesis tests with the Independent-Measures t  Assumptions of the Independent-Measures t  Hypothesis tests for the Related-Measures design  Uses and Assumptions for Related-Samples t tests  Study Guide  Answer Key 2  NES 2000 Data  Handout 6  Homework 6  Handout 7  Homework 7  Handout 8  Homework 8  Handout 9  Homework 9  Handout 10  Homework 10  Handout 11  Homework 11   Section 3  Estimation, ANOVA : Basic and Advanced, Correlation and Regression, The Chi-Square Statistic Estimation with the z-Score  Estimation with the t statistic  Factors affecting the width of a Confidence Interval The Pearson Correlation Using and Interpreting the Pearson Correlation Hypothesis Tests with the Pearson Correlation The Spearman Correlation Introduction to Regression Parametric and Nonparametric Statistical Tests The Chi-Square Test for Goodness of Fit The Chi-Square Test for Independence Assumptions and Restrictions for Chi-Square Tests Study Guide  Formula Sheet  Handout 12  Homework 12  Handout 13  Homework 13  Handout 14  Homework 14  Handout 15  Homework 15  Handout 16  Homework 16