PSCI 2075 Quantitative Research Methods

Instructor Contact:

Dalton Dorr, PhD Candidate

Email: Dalton.Dorr@colorado.edu

About the Course:

Introduces quantitative research methods used in political science. Focuses on basic tools of analysis: data collection, processing, and evaluation, with special attention to survey techniques. Includes elite and case study analysis; aggregate, cluster, and content analysis; and the use of computers in political research.

Course Prerequisites: None

Objectives:

This course will introduce students to basic concepts and techniques in quantitative analysis and show them how these concepts and techniques are applied to social science questions. Along the way, students will learn how to describe quantitative output and will learn to design their own statistical models to answer political questions. By the end of this course students should be able to design, defend, and summarize statistical tests in multivariate linear models. Students should be able to evaluate differences in the quality of a statistical models. Lastly students should be able to diagnose and ameliorate issues that plague poorly designed statistical analyses.

Required Texts:

Agresti, Alan and Barbara Finlay. 2009. Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences: Fourth Edition. Prentice Hall

Wheelan, Charles. 2013. Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data. New York: Morton

Grading (out of 100 points):

A: >93; A-: 92-90

B+: 89-87; B: 86-83; B-: 82-80

C+: 79-77; C: 76-73; C-: 72-70

D+: 69-67; D: 76-73; D-: 62-60

F: <60