Introducing Quantitative Research (SOCY7339)

Course overview

Quantitative research methods are the most commonly used research methods in the social sciences. They are widely used by academic researchers, government agencies, private companies, and community organisations. This course provides an introduction to quantitative methods in the social sciences. It emphasises how social scientists use simple quantitative techniques to investigate research questions coming from social science theory, prior research and applied problems. The course focuses on the link between theory and research in social science, the logic of quantitative empirical analysis, and techniques for describing quantitative data and drawing inferences (generalisations) about larger populations. The course also introduces Jamovi statistical software for simple quantitative analysis.

SOCY7339 is an introduction to social statistics course that emphasises both statistical concepts as well as working with data. It provides the foundational concepts and skills for more advanced courses in quantitative methods.

The course is divided into three main parts:

1. Introductory material. This section introduces key ideas of quantitative social research including the elements of the research process, and the roles of theorisation, conceptualisation and measurement.
2. Descriptive statistics. This material introduces you to simple methods for describing the characteristics of a single variable and examining relationships between two or more variables.
3. Statistical inference. This topic provides you with a conceptual introduction to basic ideas of statistical inference, the manner in which we use information taken from a probability sample to draw conclusions (inferences) about the larger population from which the sample is drawn. It introduces some simple techniques for drawing inferences about means and tabulated variables.

SOCY7339 is cumulative. Material in later sections of the course builds directly on material covered in earlier weeks. If you do not keep up it will be easy to fall behind. On the other hand, if you keep up with the weekly tutorial activities this course will be fun and and useful. This course is taught alongside an undergraduate offering.

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Course requirements

Assumed background

SOCY7339ﾠdoes not assume any prior background in social statistics or data analysis.

Incompatible

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

PSYC1040 (only if the course was completed in 2022 or 2023), SOCY2339, SOCY2120, SOCY2059, SOCY7069, SO320, SO321, SO420, SO421

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

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

Aims and outcomes

The purpose of SOCY2339ﾠis to provide students with an accessible, structured introduction to the basic statistical concepts and techniques of quantitative methods in social science.ﾠ It also aims to give students skills in simple data analysis, using Jamovi statistical software. Quantitative skills are important for both researchers and non-researchers. Basic quantitative skills allows you to read and understand a range of different sources of data - especially those we come across in everyday use, AND engage critically with them.ﾠ

This course provides excellent foundational knowledge for SOCY3039 whichﾠtakes your statistical trainingﾠto the next level. Together, these courses allow you to build a strong foundation in research methods, data analysis, and comfort in working with numbers. This is highly desirable for students wanting to do an honours degree in Sociology and Criminology. Ability to workﾠwith data isﾠalso a highly transferable and desirable skillﾠfor theﾠworkplace.ﾠ

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Assignment 1 - Applying Descriptive Statistics

Mode

Written

Category

Computer Code, Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

40%

Due date

9/09/2024 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L02, L03, L04

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. 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.

10% of maximum mark will be deducted per day for late submission

Assignment 2 - Applying Inferential Statistics

Mode

Written

Category

Computer Code, Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

40%

Due date

25/10/2024 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L05, L06, L07, L08, L09, L10, L11

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. 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.

10% of the maximum mark will be deducted per day for late submission

Tests

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

20%

Due date

5/08/2024 - 10/10/2024

Each review quiz is due the week after it is assigned:

Quiz 1 (week 3) will be open Monday 5th August 2pm, due date 7th August 2pm.

Quiz 2 (week 6) will be open Monday 26th August 2pm, due date 28th August 2pm.

Quiz 3 (week 9) will be open Monday 16th September 2pm, due date 18th September 2pm.

Quiz 4 (week 11) will be open Monday 7th October 2pm, due date 10th October 2pm.

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L09

Task description

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Submissions are made online. Please see the Blackboard site for instructions (http://learn.uq.edu.au/).

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.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

The University recognises that on occasion a medical condition or other exceptional circumstances may impair your ability to attend an examination at the scheduled date and time. Depending on the circumstances, you may be eligible for a deferred examination, and be permitted to sit your in-class, mid-semester or end-of-semester examinations at a later scheduled time. For information on eligibility and application instructions, please view the following page on myUQ: Deferring an exam - my.UQ - University of Queensland 

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

Lecture notes will be available on Blackboard (under Learning Resources) for you to download in advance, the day before the lecture.ﾠ

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In addition to the textbook, students should also bring to all computer lab sessions/online lab sessions:

• the computer lab worksheetsﾠ(available on the blackboard site)
• your lecture notes
• a USB flash drive.

These will be needed to complete the weekly lab exercises. Students will also need a calculator with basic arithmetic (plus, minus, multiply and divide) functions for the completion of exercises and assessment. A calculator will also be useful in lectures.ﾠ

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You will be allowed to use approved calculators throughout the course.ﾠ

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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.