87155 - STATISTICS FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Docente: Alessandro Magrini
  • Credits: 8
  • SSD: SECS-P/06
  • Language: English
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in International Relations (cod. 8782)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide the basic ideas of descriptive and inferential statistics for the social sciences. At the end of the course, the student will acquire the required skills to collect and analyse quantitative data, interpret results and select the most appropriate statistical models and techniques for the research questions at hand.

Course contents

The course addresses the main methodologies of statistical inference for applied research in the social sciences. After introducing random variables and probability distributions, the theory on estimation and hypothesis testing is detailed and illustrated through real-world examples. Afterwards, the linear regression model and its extensions are introduced and discussed in the major details, with emphasis on their application to social case studies.

Readings/Bibliography

Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences, 4th Edition by Alan Agresti and Barbara Finlay. Pearson, 2014.

Teaching methods

Lectures including theory and exercises.

Assessment methods

Written test.

Teaching tools

Lecture slides available in the online material.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Magrini