SOCY 4156

Spring 2008

 

                                                              Quantitative Analysis

 

Instructor: Dr. Joseph Whitmeyer

Office: Fretwell 476B                                       Office Phone: 704-687-4363   

Website: www.uncc.edu/jwhitmey                     Office Hours: MW 11:30 – 12:25, and by appointment

                                                                             

Course Description: This course is an introduction to basic social statistics.  We will learn about some of the basic statistical measures that you can use to summarize data and make statements about social groups.  In particular, we will learn about the logic of hypothesis testing using statistics.  We will learn about which techniques are appropriate in which situations, and how to interpret statistics.  Labs involve the application of these skills in the analysis of real data.

 

You will need for this class:

 

1. Statistics: A Tool for Social Research (Joseph F. Healey, 2005, 7th edition). 

2. A calculator without statistical functions that does square roots.

3. A 3.5" disk for your lab work.

 

The book is available at the UNCC bookstore and Gray's bookstore.

 

Labs: There is a lab required with this course.  All labs will meet in Fretwell 421 at the scheduled times.  Please attend your assigned lab only.  Labs normally will cover topics after they have been covered in class.  Although every effort will be made to keep class and lab material synchronized, scheduling difficulties mean that this may not always occur.  There will be twelve lab assignments, which you will complete and return to lab instructor at the end of lab session.  Make every effort to be in lab, as no late lab assignments will be accepted (see policy below) and there are no lab makeups.

 

Homework: Homework will often be assigned in class (there probably will be 12 or more assignments).  Assigned homework will also be posted on my web site, at www.uncc.edu/jwhitmey. This will typically be due at the beginning of the next class meeting.  We will go over the homework just after you hand it in at the beginning of class.  If for some reason you are late coming to class and find the door shut while we go through the homework, please wait outside until we have finished going over the homework and I have opened the door.  Then you may hand in your own homework and take a seat.  You will find that attending class, doing class exercises and homework is crucial to your success in this course.  All homework will be graded.

 

Feel free to call or e-mail me (jwhitmey@email.uncc.edu) with questions about the homework.  Be timely.  I will not answer questions about the homework immediately before the class in which the homework is due.

 

Grades:  Your final grade comes from your three exam scores (50%), your homework grades (25%), and your lab grades (25%).  Your final grade will be determined as follows:

 

A ≥ 90%

B ≥ 80%

C ≥ 70%

D ≥60%

F < 60%

 

Examinations: There are three scheduled exams.

Exam 1: 2/13

Exam 2: 3/24

Exam 3: 5/5, 2:00 – 3:15pm

Note that the final exam time is shorter than given in the schedule of classes.

Both exams are open book, and you can also bring a 1-page, regular-sized cheat-sheet.  You will not be allowed to consult any other material.

 

Reading and Lab Schedule: The reading and lab schedule is posted on my web site as reading and lab schedule.  You are responsible for reading the assigned material before class, doing the homework, attending class and lab, and participating in class activities.  It is your responsibility to keep up with the reading schedule (see web site) unless told otherwise.  Exams and homework may include any material from the assigned chapters, whether or not it has been discussed in class ahead of time.  The reading schedule is designed to flex with the needs of individual classes, so pay attention in class and to my web page for any changes.

 

 

General Course Policies:

 

My most general policy is this: if you have a problem with completing the course requirements, see me about it AHEAD of time.  If the problem concerns the lab, see the lab instructor ahead of time.

 

Makeups of exams or homeworks will be given only under the following circumstances: (a) you contact me prior to the exam date or homework due date with an unavoidable, legitimate reason for not taking the exam/doing the homework on time, (voice mail is OK, as long as you let me know BEFORE class); and/or (b) you provide written evidence (medical excuse, funeral notice) for why you did not take the exam/do the homework at the scheduled time. 

 

All makeups must be completed within one week of the originally scheduled exam date or homework due date -- it is your responsibility to contact me to arrange for the makeup.  Leaving a message for me is not adequate, as it is not my responsibility to contact you.  Missed makeup exams/homeworks will be recorded as a zero.

CLASS SCHEDULE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS:

Week 1 (1/9)            Introduction                                                 Read: 1.1-1.6

Week 2 (1/14)          Basic Descriptive Statistics                          Read: 2.1-2.8

Week 3 (1/23)          Measures of Central Tendency                     Read: 3.1-3.6, 3.8

Week 4 (1/30)          Measures of Dispersion                                Read: 4.1-4.3, 4.5, 4.8, 4.9

Week 5 (2/6)            Normal Curve                                               Read: 5.1-5.6

Exam 1: 2/13

 

Week 7 (2/18)          Sampling and Sampling Distribution            Read: 6.1-6.6

Week 8 (2/25)          Estimation                                                    Read: 7.1-7.8

Week 9 (3/10)          One-sample Hypothesis Tests                      Read: 8.1-8.7

Week 10 (3/17)        Two-sample Hypothesis Tests                     Read: 9.1, 9.2, 9.4-9.6

Exam 2: 3/24

 

Week 11 (3/26)        ANOVA                                                       Read: 10.1-10.3, 10.6, 10.8-10.9

Week 12 (4/2)          Chi-square Test                                            Read: 11.1-11.6, 11.8, 11.9

Week 13 (4/9)          Bivariate Association                                   Read: 12.1-12.3; 13.1-13.2

Week 14 (4/16)        Simple Regression and Correlation               Read: 15.1-15.5

Week 15 (4/23)        Correlation and Multiple Regression            Read: 15.6, 15.8, 15.9

Exam 3: 5/5, 2:00 – 3:15pm

 

 

STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

All UNC Charlotte students have the responsibility to be familiar with and to observe the requirements of The UNC Charlotte Code of Student Academic Integrity (see the Catalog).  This Code forbids cheating, fabrication or falsification of information, multiple submission of academic work, plagiarism, abuse of academic materials (such as Library books on reserve), and complicity in academic dishonesty (helping others to violate the Code).  Any further specific requirements or permission regarding academic integrity in this course will be stated by the instructor, and are also binding on the students in this course.  Students who violate the Code can be punished to the extent of being permanently expelled from UNC Charlotte and having this fact recorded on their official transcripts.  The normal penalty is zero credit on the work involving dishonesty and further substantial reduction of the course grade.  In almost all cases, the course grade is reduced to “F.”  If you do not have a copy of the Code, you can obtain one from the Dean of Students Office or access it online at http://www.legal.uncc.edu/policies/ps-105.html.  Standards of academic integrity will be enforced in this course.  Students are expected to report cases of academic dishonesty they become aware of to the course instructor who is responsible for dealing with them.