Sociology 360: Statistics for Sociologists I: (Lecture 1) Spring, 2007 _______________________________________________________________________ Instructor: Kubilay Gok, MS, MSHRLR, PhD Candidate (Anticipated: August 2007) Office: 7107 Sewell Social Science Building Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Phone: 262-1169 Office Hours: Monday 1:30-3:30 ________________________________________________________________________TA: Laura Heidemann Office: 7110 Sewell Social Science Building Email: [email protected] Phone: 262-3569 Office Hours: Thursday 1:00 -3:00 or by appointment ________________________________________________________________________ Lectures: 11:00 -12:15 Tuesday/Thursday Place: 1217 HUMANITIES Labs: LAB 321: 1:20-3:15 Monday 6310 SOC SCI Labs: LAB 322: 7:45-9:40 Friday 6113 SOC SCI Turn off your cell phones at the beginning of lecture and lab. Course Description: This course is an introduction to statistical methods as applied to social sciences. No prior course in statistics is required, but knowledge of beginning algebra will greatly facilitate your learning the material. The focus of this course is on basic statistics and research tools which are useful in conducting experiments and describing data. It is an introduction to basic statistical tools and methods and therefore it is not expected that you will leave this course knowing all the basic research tools, but this course will lay the groundwork for conducting your own research, reading or writing research articles, and evaluating daily "real-world" information reported by various sources. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and basic algebra skills Required text: Moore, Davis S. (2007) The Basic Practice of Statistics, 4th edition. New York: W.H. Freeman, Where to Purchase: Available at University Bookstore Computing: A calculator (that can perform all basic mathematical operations) will be necessary for homework and exam problems as well as in-class exercises. The calculator must be able to compute square roots and powers and have some statistical functions (mean, standard deviation, correlation, and regression) built in. Moore provides some advice and recommendations. You are responsible for learning how to use the statistical functions on your calculator. Students may use SPSS, Minitab or Excel for some homework problems where it is required to use statistical software to get the results.Lectures: Lectures will focus on basic concepts and their application. Lecture notes will be provided via email to all students. Therefore, you are responsible for what is covered in class, regardless of whether or not it appears on one of the handouts. Lectures may draw from different sources where it is appropriate to support the substance of the concepts being discussed. Labs: Lab sessions combine instruction with review of the previous week’s homework assignment. Some activities involving the in-class survey will be done only during lab. Attendance is recorded. Lab Session 321 will not meet in the first week but, lab session 322 will meet in the first week during its scheduled time and place on Friday. After the first few topics, bring your calculator. TA office hours are intended to provide assistance in addition to --not instead of -- that given in lab. The TA is not required to cover material that was covered in lab for students who did not attend the lab. Examinations: There will be two non-cumulative in-class examinations and one non-cumulative final at the date assigned in the timetable. Tentative exam dates are on the schedule below, but dates may change. Location of the examinations will be announced in class. Examination questions will be comprised of multiple choice questions that require an understanding of basic concepts covered in the lectures. A review session will be devoted to prepare for the exam, and a review sheet with concepts will be distributed before the exam. Students will be given an index card which is big enough to write down all necessary formulas on it. This formula sheet is required to have the name of student using it and will be collected at the end of each exam. Missed and Make-up Examinations: If you have a schedule conflict with an exam you must discuss it in advance with the instructor (not the TA). If an illness or other unanticipated emergency prevents you from taking an exam, you must contact the instructor as soon as possible. Permission of the instructor is required in order to take a make-up exam or the final comprehensive exam. Although you may discuss these matters with the TA, only the instructor may authorize special arrangements for an exam. Disagreements about Grading of an Exam: If you disagree with the way a question has been graded, you must do the following: (1) Make a copy of the exam with your answer and the grade. (2) Attach to it a written explanation of why you feel the grade is inappropriate. If you dispute a substantive point, document your point of view citing the text, reading, or lecture. If you interpreted the question differently from the way it was intended, explain your interpretation and why you believe your answer is correct given that interpretation. (3) Describe in the written statement what you believe would be a fair grade. (4) Give the copy of the exam and the written statement to the instructor no later than 1 week after the TA hands back graded exams.We will (1) respond to you in writing; (2) change everyone’s grade accordingly if there is a general problem; (3) note any change in grade as an adjustment (to be taken in to account if you have a border-line grade) if you have individual concerns. Homework: Weekly homework is due the Tuesday after the week in which it is assigned, at the beginning of class. The TA will go over the solutions in labs. All homework must be stapled. No paperclips. Grading of homework: There will be a total of 21 homework problem sets given from the textbook. Each home work is worth 3 point. Each problem in a homework set will be graded on a three-point scale to indicate the level of accuracy and understanding reflected in the answer: Grade Points Performance Criteria Good 3 Complete, correct and clear Satisfactory 2 Some mistakes and/or misconceptions, somewhat unclear or incomplete Unsatisfactory 1 Serious mistakes and/or misconceptions, very unclear or barely attempted. Exceptionally poor 0 Late, fail to follow instructions or