POL242y Outline of Topics and Readings 2014-15

Sept. 10/11– Approaching a Course on Research Methods

Overview

• Information Commons Licensed Software Office – www.utoronto.ca/ic/software/detail/spssStudent.html
• Forum Research Data – Dataverse.scholarsportal.info/dvn (search for political science) or when off campus:
• https://login.library.utoronto.ca/cgi-bin/go_log.pl?url=http://dataverse.scholarsportal.info/dvn/dv/MDL
• CES 2011 – http://ces-eec.org/pagesE/home.html
• ANES 2012– www.routledge.com/cw/Linneman
• Aggregated World Values Data – www.routledge.com/cw/Linneman
• Snowden Data – Dataverse.scholarsportal.info/dvn (search for Snowden)
• Privacy Data – Dataverse.scholarsportal.info/dvn (search for privacy)

Sept. 17/18–Doing Social Research; Data Lab 1 & 2

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 1, 2 (28-40 only); Ch 3 (77-80).
• Linneman, Preface, Chapter 1, Appx A online at: www.routledge.com/cw/Linneman.

Sept. 24/25–Literature, Referencing, Reporting: Data Lab 3

Drop in Tutorial–Finding Literature. Available: Sept 29/30.

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Chapter 20.
• Linneman, Chapter 1, (40-41).

Recommended Reading:

• RefWorks Fundamentals Workbook;
• Linneman, Appx B online at: www.routledge.com/cw/Linneman.
• Highway of Heroes Paper (33-37; 50-52)
• Framing Paper (1-3; 15-16)

 

Oct. 1/2-Describing Variables; Constructing Tables; Data Labs 4 & 5

Assignment: Topic Selection and Literature (due Oct 8/9).

Drop-in Tutorial this week-Available Oct 6/7-Making proper tables

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 4 (77-81); Ch 15 (243-58 through Calculating Z-scores);
• Linneman, Ch 1 (18-21 again); Ch 2 (46-57; 63-68; 70-91); Ch 3.
• Ludwig-Mayerhofer, Simple Analysis (Frequency Tables), Data Transformation (Recode); Handling Data Files (Missing Values; Labeling Variables and Values; Rename Variables and Selecting Cases), Simple Analysis (Crosstabulation).

 

Oct. 8/9–Relating Categorical Variables; Data Labs 6 & 7

Due This Week: Topic Selection and Literature

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 17 (290-311);
• Linneman, Ch 4 (pp 141-150)
• Ludwig-Mayerhofer, Simple Analysis (Crosstabulation).
• Practice Questions for Quiz 1

Oct. 15/16 –Preparing for Homework

In Class This Week: Quiz 1

Assignment: Univariate & Bivariate Homework (due Oct 22/23).

Drop in Tutorials available. Dates 20/21

Oct 22/23-Measuring, Operationalizing & Indexing; Data Labs 8 & 9

Due this week: Univariate & Bivariate Homework due this week

Assignment: confirming a Linneman index (due Oct 29/30).

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 3 & 4 (67-76; 83-88; 92-94)
• Linneman, Ch 1 (8-9); Ch 1 (38-40) again; Appx A.
• Ludwig-Mayerhofer, Data Reduction (Item Analysis); Data Transformation (Compute).

• http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/spss/faq/alpha.html
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gHvHm2SE5s
• https://kb.iu.edu/d/bctl

Oct. 29/30–Surveys, Sampling & Statistical Significance Data Lab 10

Descriptive Inference

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 4 ( 88-92) Ch 8, 9 & 15 (258-63) 16 (265-271 top only);
• Linneman, Ch 4 (141-150 again) Ch 5
• Ludwig-Mayerhofer, Handling Data Files (Using Case Weights).

Recommended: Reading:

• Highway of Heroes Paper, Appx A (57-58).
• Losing Heart Paper get link
• Calculating Weights
• Soroka CPSA presentation

Nov. 5/6-Data Labs 11 &12 on Statistical Significance

Tutorial this week-Presenting Data II. Dates 10/11.

Assignment: Index & Inference Homework (due 26/27 Nov).

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 7, 16 (271-82);
• Linneman, Ch 4 (151-188); Ch 5 & 6.
• Ludwig-Mayerhofer, Data Analyis–Simple Analysis (Crosstabulation; Simple Analysis of Variance).
• Practice Questions for Quiz 2

Nov. 12/13–Preparing for Homework – Data Labs 13 & 14

In Class This Week: Quiz 2;

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 20 (again).

Nov. 19/20—Qualitative Research I: Approaches and Method

Drop in Tutorials not available: 17/18 due to fall break

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 6, 13 & 14.

Recommended Viewing and Reading:

• http://www.c-span.org/Events/Focus-Group-Examines-Presidential-Candidates-and-Campaign-2012/10737434139-2/
• Elite Inteviews

Nov. 26/27– Qualitative Research II: Ethics and Analysis

Drop in Tutorials available: 24/25

Due This Week: Index and Inference Homework

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 5, 19 (349-56).

Recommended Reading:

• Highway of Heroes Paper (37-39)
• http://www.research.utoronto.ca/about/boards-and-committees/research-ethics-boards-reb/
• http://www.research.utoronto.ca/for-researchers-administrators/ethics/human/application-forms/
  
• http://politics.utoronto.ca/undergraduate/student-forms

Winter Break!

January 7/8 – Correlation & Introducing Additional Variables; Data Lab 15

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 7, 10, 17 (p 312 only) & 18 (332 bottom two paragraphs-3 through the calculations).
• Linneman, Ch 7 (273-276).
• Ludwig-Mayerhofer, Data Analysis Simple Analysis (Correlation).
• WorldData.sav available at: college.cqpress.com/sites/statpa
• Aggregated World Values Data – www.routledge.com/cw/Linneman

January 14/15 – Introducing Regression & Data Lab 16 

Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 18 (323 middle-32 middle).
• Linneman, Ch 7 & 8 .
• Ludwig-Mayerhofer, More Complex Analysis-Linear Regression.

Recommended Reading:

• Java applet for regression:

 http://www.stat.sc.edu/~west/javahtml/Regression.html

Jan 21/22 – Multivariate Regression; Lab 17 – Multiple Regression

Assignment: Correlation and Regression Homework (due Feb 4/5).

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl Ch 18 (335-43).
• Linneman, Ch 11
• Ludwig-Mayerhofer, More Complex Analysis-Linear Regression.
• Practice Questions for Quiz 3.

Jan. 28/29 – Dummy Variables & Preparing for Homework Lab 18 – Dummy Variables

In Class This Week: Quiz 3

Drop in Tutorials available. Dates: 2/3.

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 18 (334).
• Linneman, Ch 9.

February 4/5 –Attempting Control: Experiments & Elaboration

Causal Inference

Due This Week: Correlation and Regression Homework

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 11, 17 (314-9).
• Linneman Ch 1 (57-63; 68-70).
• Summary Notes on Statistical Elaboration

Recommended Reading:

• Highway of Heroes Paper (39-41; Appx B 59-62).

February 11/12 – Elaboration; Data Lab

Assignment: Identifying Indicators for Control Variables (due Feb 25/26

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 2 (40-6).
• Linneman, Ch 2 (51-58; 64-66) again; Ch 10 (1-29).
• Elaboration Summary

Reading Week! No class Feb 18/19.

Feb 25/26–Control Variables with Regression: Replication, Mediation (Interpretation) and Spuriousness (Explanation)

Due This Week: Identifying Indicators for Control Variables

Tutorial this week-Presenting Data IV. Dates: 23/24.

Assignment: Multiple Regression Model Homework (due Mar 18/19).

Required Reading:

• Linneman, Ch 14) Ch 16 (532-541).
• Summary of Statistical Elaboration

Recommended Reading:

• Framing Paper (3-14)

March 4/5 – Regression with Interactions (Moderation) Lab 14 – Interactions

Required Reading:

• Linneman, Ch 12
• Practice Questions for Quiz 4

March 11/12 – Interpreting Interaction (Moderation)

In Class This Week: Quiz 4;

Required Reading:

• Elaboration Summary
• Lab on Interpreting Interactions

Drop in Tutorials Available: 16/17

March 18/19 – Further Horizons in Data Analysis–Logistic Regression

Due: Multiple Regression Model Homework

Required Reading:

• Archer and Berdahl, Ch 18 (343-6).

• Linneman, Ch 13

Recommended Reading:

• Linneman Ch 15
• Logistic Regression Lab
• Ludwig-Mayerhofer, More Complex Analysis-Logistic Regression.

 

March 25/26–Further Horizons in Data Analysis– SEM

 

Required Reading:

• Linneman, Ch 16

Recommended Reading:

• Linneman Ch 15
• Logistic Regression Lab
• Ludwig-Mayerhofer, More Complex Analysis-Logistic Regression.

 

April 1/2–TBA

Due This Week: Quiz 5

Recommended Reading:

• Highway of Heroes Paper (41-50)
• Framing Paper
• Retake study
• Cell Paper