SOCI 3015 - Quantitative Research Methods in Social Sciences
North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2023
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code SOCI 3015 Course Quantitative Research Methods in Social Sciences Coordinating Unit Sociology, Criminology and Gender Studies Term Semester 1 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 3 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Prerequisites SOCI 2012 or PSYCHOL 1004 or PSYCHOL 2004 Incompatible GEOG 1005, GEOG 2132, CRIM 3004, SOCI 3016 Assessment Mid term exam, 2 x Assignments (dependent on stream), Final Exam Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Djordje Stefanovic
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
1. correctly use basic quantitative terminology
2. understand and apply basic quantitative reasoning
3. find and critically assess different quantitative data provided by Australian government
4. conduct basic data analysis of Australian General Social Survey data set
5. design a short on-line survey to resolve the problems with existing data setsUniversity Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.
1,2 Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.
2,3,4,5 Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills
Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.
2 Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness
Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.
3,4,5 Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency
Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.
2 Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency
Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.
. Attribute 7: Digital capabilities
Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.
. Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
1. Statistics for People Who (Think) They Hate Statistics, by N. J. Salkind, (6th ed) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
- Hardcopies available at the Barr Smith Library, High Use area
2. Successful Surveys, (Chapters 7, 8, and 9), by Gray and Guppy, Harcourt Brace & Company
- Available via MyUni.
The course calendar, below, specifies the reading to be done before viewing the lecture at MyUni. The lectures run parallel to the textbook readings; however, the lectures do not simply repeat the material in the textbook. The students are responsible for mastering both the lecture and the textbook material for use on the midterm exam, the assignments and the final exam. The readings are not long and it is vital to do them. Failure to keep up with the readings or to view the lectures every week would make it difficult to do well in this course.Online Learning
Lecture power point slides with audio recordings, on-line quizzes, assignment instructions, model assignments, the midterm exam, and the final exam will be posted to the MyUni course site. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
No information currently available.
Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
1 x 3 hour lecture per week 33 hours 3 hours reading per week 33 hours 1 hour on-line quiz answering per week 11 hours 6.2 hours assignment preparation each week on average 68 hours 1 hour exam review per week 11 hours Total (per semester) 156 hours Learning Activities Summary
Schedule Week 1 Introduction & Level of Measurement Week 2 Descriptive Stats, Crosstabs and Correlations Week 3 Normal Distribution and Z Scores Week 4 Hypothesis Testing Week 5 Hypothesis Testing Week 6 Confidence Intervals & Statistical Significance Week 7 Multicausality Week 8 How to Read & Write Quant Publications Week 9 Survey Design: Methodology& Questions Week 10 Survey Design: Questionnaire & On-Line Week 11 Future of Quantitative Analysis -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Each student will have a choice whether you want to do Assignment 2 (Data Analytics Stream) or Assignment 3 (Survey Design Stream). While both streams will offer training in the basic statistical analysis and survey design, Data Analytics Stream will be more statistically intensive than the Survey Design Stream. You will need to choose your stream at MyUni by the deadline that will be specified during the Week 1. Students who do not make the choice by the stated deadline will be assigned to the Survey Design Stream.
5.1.1. Data Analytics Stream
Assessment Task Task Type Weighting Learning Outcome Midterm Exam (take home, multiple choice online) Formative & Summative 20% 2, 3 Assignment One (Basic Stats with Excel) Formative & Summative 15% 1, 2 Assignment Two (Sophisticated Stats with SPSS) Formative & Summative 35% 4 Final Exam (take home, multiple choice online) Summative 30% 1, 2
5.1.2. Survey Design Stream
Assessment Task Task Type Weighting Learning Outcome Midterm Exam (take home, multiple choice online) Formative & Summative 20% 2, 3 Assignment One (Basic Stats with Excel) Formative & Summative 30% 1, 2 Assignment Three (On-line Survey Questionnaire Design) Formative & Summative 20% 5 Final Exam (take home, multiple choice online) Summative 30% 1, 2 Assessment Detail
Mid Term Exam : The midterm will be multiple choice, open-book, take home exam. The midterm questions will be posted at MyUni.
Details of this assessment will be provided in class.
Assignment One (Basic Stats with Excel): In the first assignment, you will use data collected by the Australian
government to look into certain social issues in Australia. You will use basic statistics in this assignment. The report file will be
submitted via MyUni.
Assignment Two (Sophisticated Stats with SPSS): In the second assignment, you will use data from the General Social
Survey of Australians to answer a specific research question of your choice using more sophisticated statistics. The report file will be
submitted via MyUni.
Assignment Three (On-line Survey Questionnaire Design): In the third assignment, you will identify a new research question, based on what you have learned in the second assignment. You will then design a brief survey questionnaire that could collect data to help you answer that question. The report file will be submitted via MyUni.
Final Exam: The final exam will be multiple choice, open-book, take home exam. You will be expected to display understanding, integration, and critical reflection on the required readings and lectures. The focus will be on applied problem solving. The final exam questions will be posted at MyUni. Details of this assessment will be provided in class.
Note: Further very detailed information on the expectations for each assignment will be provided at the MyUni and discussed in class.Submission
No information currently available.
Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
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- Intellectual Property Policy
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- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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