B3846 - LABORATORIO DI METODI E TECNICHE QUANTITATIVE AVANZATE PER LA RICERCA SOCIALE

Learning outcomes

The course introduces the basic knowledge for data analysis using the statistical software package Stata. By the end of the course, the student: (i) has gained a good level of familiarity with the program's interface; (ii) knows how to import databases and perform essential data management operations; (iii) is capable of creating and recoding variables, as well as preparing the final data file for statistical analysis; (iv) performs main mono and bivariate statistical analyses and can accurately interpret the results; (v) is able to independently acquire more advanced skills in using Stata for multivariate statistical analysis."

Course contents

The course is designed for those who have theoretical knowledge about social research methods and techniques but have not yet developed empirical skills specifically related to data analysis and interpretation. In research and many professions, acquiring skills related to processing and interpreting statistical data applied to the study of social phenomena is becoming increasingly important. In some cases, data is used to describe a specific phenomenon, while other times it is used to study relationships between two or more phenomena.
The Laboratory provides practical guidance on using one of the most widely used software (STATA) for statistical analysis in the field of social sciences. The analysis techniques will be applied to the following topics: attitudes towards climate change and LGBTQ+ rights, gender and social class inequalities.

The course program is structured as follows:

Brief theoretical review and introduction to STATA
Univariate analysis and variable recoding
Measures of central tendency (mean, mode, median) and variability
Construction of additive and typological indices
Bivariate analysis: contingency tables
Bivariate analysis: linear regression

Readings/Bibliography

Piergiorgio Corbetta, La ricerca sociale: metodologia e tecniche. IV. L'analisi dei dati, Il Mulino, 2015.

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures, practical exercises on the use of statistical analysis software guided by the instructor. Active participation of students in the laboratory activities will be encouraged.

The software STATA (SE version) can be downloaded for free by accessing this link: https://www.unibo.it/secure/software-stata/ using your Unibo credentials.

Assessment methods

Assessment of preparation and acquired skills during the laboratory activities will take place through both a practical exercise at the end of the course and activities/exercises throughout the course. The practical exercise aims to verify that the student has acquired the ability to perform univariate and bivariate statistical analyses on survey data, and to present and interpret the results of these analyses through tables.

To obtain the final result registration, you must register for the first exam session, but physical presence will not be required.

Teaching tools

STATA software available to students and PowerPoint presentations.

Office hours

See the website of Lorenzo Cattani