Applied Quantitative Research (SOCY3039)

Course overview

Skills in applied quantitative data analysis are highly sought after by employers and are widely used by researchers in academia, government agencies, private companies and community organisations. This course teaches some of the most important quantitative data analysis techniques to equip students to undertake their own research and to assess the research of others. The course is ideal for those who are planning to undertake a quantitative honours thesis or work in an area that requires evaluating or conducting quantitative analyses. Topics covered include: a revision of descriptive and inferential statistics; bivariate and multiple linear regression; binary, ordered and multinominal logistic regression; and the use of statistical software for data analysis (Stata). A defining characteristic of this course is its focus on the practical application of the methods covered, rather than on their mathematical or statistical properties.

Quantitative research methods are a powerful way to empirically explore substantive research questions in the Social Sciences and to rigorously examine sociological and other scientific theories. Skills in quantitative research and data analysis are also highly sought after by employers in both the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. This course follows on from 'SOCY2339/7339 Introducing Quantitative Methods' and aims toﾠfurther enhance your skills in applying quantitative analysisﾠin the Social Sciences. The course begins with a brief revision of the key materials covered in SOCY2339/7339, followed by a discussion of techniques used to measure bivariate relationships. The course will then concentrate on powerful and useful regression-based techniques for examining relationships among both continuous and categorical data. The methods that we shall cover in this course are most often used in Social Science to analyse data generated by social surveys but they can also be applied to numeric data in general (e.g., experimental or administrative data).

Course requirements

Assumed background

Students enrolling in this advanced course should have completed 'SOCY2339/7339 Introducing Quantitative Methods', or an equivalent course on statistics or quantitative research methods for the Social Sciences at UQ or elsewhere. Students enrolling in this course are therefore assumed to have acquired foundational knowledge in univariate measures of central tendency and dispersion (e.g., mean, median, mode, standard deviation, variance), bivariate measures of association (e.g., contingency tables, correlations), and basic notions of probability theory and inferential statistics (e.g., sampling distributions, hypothesis testing, p values, t statistics, confidence intervals…). Some familiarity with Stata software is desirable, but not essential.

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

SOCY2339

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

SO320 or SOCY3019, SO323 or 423 or SOCY7039

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Participation in this course entails:

• Attendingﾠtwo-hour weekly lectures,
• Attending one-hour weekly tutorial sessions.

For students to progress appropriately through the course, it is essential that they attend each lectureﾠand tutorial sessions. Tutorial sessions will be essential for students to acquire hands-on data analysis skills that will be used in assessment.ﾠ

Please refer to MyTimetable for the most up-to-date timetable information.

Aims and outcomes

This course aims at enhancing students' skills on the following areas of Applied Quantitative Research.

1. Foundational knowledge and application of key statistical concepts.

The course introduces and discusses important quantitative analytic techniques applied in contemporary Social Science research, and revises key ideas about introductory statistics dealt with in 'SOCY2339/7339 Introducing Quantitative Research'. This includes basic descriptive statistics for univariate and bivariate relationships, and foundational notions about how to draw inferences about a population of interest using a sample of it.

2. Reseach design for quantitative social science.ﾠ

Good quantitative research is based in theory and subject matter expertise - it is not a purely statistical endeavour. The course will introduce foundational ideas in research design that underpin quantitative social science, including an understanding of different research goals, study types, and tools to understand causality (experimentation, potential outcomes, and directed acyclic graphs). These conceptual tools will provide students with the ability to think clearly about a variety of research problems, critique quantitative research, and translate real-world understanding into compelling research design.ﾠ

3. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression models.

Regression is the most common technique for statistical analysis in Social Science research, and the 'bread and butter' for academic and professional researchers who rely on these methods. Regression models are formal mathematical representations of Social Science theories that can be used to empirically examine those theories. This section of the course focuses on how to use regression techniques for quantitative social research. It begins by discussing simple bivariate models used to ascertain relationships between only two variables, and then moves onto discus

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Assignment 1

Mode

Written

Category

Computer Code, Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

30%

Due date

16/08/2024 2:00 pm

Submit via Course Blackboard (TurnItIn).

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L06, L08

Task description

Submission guidelines

You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date.

Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on BlackBoard and no emailed submissions will be accepted.

By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own. Please note that on the preview page, your assignment will be shown without formatting. Your assignment will retain formatting and your coordinator/tutor will be able to see formatted assignments. Once you have submitted your assignment you are able to go back and view your submission with the correct formatting.

You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted, please submit again. If you are unable to submit your assignment by the due date and time, you need to apply for an extension as set out in section 5.3.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

An extension request without penalty will only be considered under exceptional circumstances as outlined on my.UQ. You must submit the extension request as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than the assessment item submission due date.

A request for an extension to an assessment due date must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic.

Extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) or an Extension Verification Letter (EVL) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Extensions exceeding this duration or subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ) and Course Coordinator approval.

When you submit an extension request in the student portal, it is received, read, and actioned by the Social Science Student Administration Team. It does not go to the course coordinator.

Late applications (requests received after the assessment item submission due date) must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date.

In considering applications for extensions, students may be asked to supply the work they have completed to date on the assessment piece. This is to establish what efforts have already been made to complete the assessment, and whether the proposed work plan is feasible.

Late submissions of extension requests in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester.

Work can NOT be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Assignment 2

Mode

Written

Category

Computer Code, Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

35%

Due date

20/09/2024 2:00 pm

Submit via Course Blackboard (TurnItIn).

Learning outcomes

L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L08

Task description

Submission guidelines

Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to http://learn.uq.edu.au/ with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted.

Turnitin links will be configured to permit early submission of assessment items. Students will have the opportunity to submit draft assignments to Turnitin prior to submission of the final assignment in order to review similarity index content and to improve academic writing practice in accordance with UQ Academic Integrity policies.

By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own. Please note that on the preview page, your assignment will be shown without formatting. Your assignment will retain formatting and your coordinator/tutor will be able to see formatted assignments. Once you have submitted your assignment you are able to go back and view your submission with the correct formatting.

You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted, please submit again. If you are unable to submit your assignment by the due date, you need to apply for an extension as set out in section 5.3.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

An extension request without penalty will only be considered under exceptional circumstances as outlined on my.UQ. You must submit the extension request as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than the assessment item submission due date.

A request for an extension to an assessment due date must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic.

Extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) or an Extension Verification Letter (EVL) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Extensions exceeding this duration or subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ) and Course Coordinator approval.

When you submit an extension request in the student portal, it is received, read, and actioned by the Social Science Student Administration Team. It does not go to the course coordinator.

Late applications (requests received after the assessment item submission due date) must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date.

In considering applications for extensions, students may be asked to supply the work they have completed to date on the assessment piece. This is to establish what efforts have already been made to complete the assessment, and whether the proposed work plan is feasible.

Late submissions of extension requests in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester.

Work can NOT be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Assignment 3

Mode

Written

Category

Computer Code, Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

35%

Due date

21/10/2024

Submit via Course Blackboard (TurnItIn).

Learning outcomes

L01, L03, L06, L07, L08, L09

Task description

Submission guidelines

Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to http://learn.uq.edu.au/ with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted.

Turnitin links will be configured to permit early submission of assessment items. Students will have the opportunity to submit draft assignments to Turnitin prior to submission of the final assignment in order to review similarity index content and to improve academic writing practice in accordance with UQ Academic Integrity policies.

By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own. Please note that on the preview page, your assignment will be shown without formatting. Your assignment will retain formatting and your coordinator/tutor will be able to see formatted assignments. Once you have submitted your assignment you are able to go back and view your submission with the correct formatting.

You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted, please submit again. If you are unable to submit your assignment by the due date, you need to apply for an extension as set out in section 5.3.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

An extension request without penalty will only be considered under exceptional circumstances as outlined on my.UQ. You must submit the extension request as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than the assessment item submission due date.

A request for an extension to an assessment due date must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic.

Extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) or an Extension Verification Letter (EVL) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Extensions exceeding this duration or subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ) and Course Coordinator approval.

When you submit an extension request in the student portal, it is received, read, and actioned by the Social Science Student Administration Team. It does not go to the course coordinator.

Late applications (requests received after the assessment item submission due date) must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date.

In considering applications for extensions, students may be asked to supply the work they have completed to date on the assessment piece. This is to establish what efforts have already been made to complete the assessment, and whether the proposed work plan is feasible.

Late submissions of extension requests in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester.

Work can NOT be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Additional assessment information

Academic Integrity: All students must complete the Academic Integrity Modules https://www.uq.edu.au/integrity/ 

UQ Assignment Writing Guide: Steps for writing assignments - my.UQ - University of Queensland 

Release of Marks: The marks and feedback for assessments will be released to students in a timely manner, prior to the due date of the next assessment piece for the course. This is with the exception of the final piece of assessment. The marks and feedback for the final assessment item will only be made available to the student on the Finalisation of Grades date at the end of semester.  

Assessment Re-mark: For information on requesting an assessment re-mark, please view the following page on my.UQ: https://my.uq.edu.au/querying-result  

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Further recommended readings may be added to Blackboard over the course of the semester. These recommended readings will be used to provide alternative explanations of the techniques covered throughout the course and to illustrate their practical applications.

• The computer lab workbook (available on Blackboard).
• The lecture notes.
• A USB flash drive tp back up their work.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.