1 / 9

Shopping for S-030: Intermediate Statistics: Applied Regression and Data Analysis

Shopping for S-030: Intermediate Statistics: Applied Regression and Data Analysis. A simple test to determine whether S-030 is right for you (actually, the only test you’ll take in S-030). Thinking back over all the journal articles & research reports you read last semester,

ifama
Download Presentation

Shopping for S-030: Intermediate Statistics: Applied Regression and Data Analysis

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Shopping for S-030: Intermediate Statistics: Applied Regression and Data Analysis

  2. A simple test to determine whether S-030 is right for you(actually, the only test you’ll take in S-030) • Thinking back over all the journal articles & research reports you read last semester, • in what percentage of papers did you carefully read the methods section? • All (100%) • Most (75-99%) • Many (50-74%) • Some (25-49%) • A Few (1-24%) • None (0%) • And across all the methods sections you read, in what percentage did you understand what the researchers did well enough to critically evaluate the credibility of the results? • All (100%) • Most (75-99%) • Many (50-74%) • Some (25-49%) • A Few (1-24%) • None (0%)

  3. Is ABC News Really Beating NBC News in the Ratings Race? Maybe, BUT: this difference is well within the limits of sampling error

  4. Do All-Nighters Really Not Improve Grades? Maybe, BUT: Are we sure about the direction of the causal arrow?

  5. Are More Attractive Parents Really More Likely to Have Daughters? 52% combined Maybe, BUT: What about linearity and multiple comparisons?

  6. What you’ll learn in S-030: The science and art of data analysis, regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA) Unit 1: Introduction to simple linear regression Unit 2: Correlation and causality Unit 3: Inference for the regression model Building a solid foundation Unit 5: Transformations to achieve linearity Unit 4: Regression assumptions: Evaluating their tenability Mastering the subtleties Adding additional predictors Unit 6: The basics of multiple regression Unit 7: Statistical control in depth: Correlation and collinearity Generalizing to other types of predictors and effects Unit 9: Categorical predictors II: Polychotomies Unit 8: Categorical predictors I: Dichotomies Unit 10: Interaction and quadratic effects Pulling it all together Unit 11: Regression modeling in practice

  7. How you’ll spend your time in S-030, Part I:What we’ll do in class Each unit has a three-part structure Lectures with your questions: Active participation is encouraged!!! • I. Research Questions and Data Sets • Are college students from integrated high schools more—or less—comfortable with minorities? • Did Al Gore really lose the 2000 Presidential Race in Florida? • … and many more Note-taking: On laptop or printouts of handouts, but if you use a laptop, please sit on the side (they’re noisy)! • II. Delve into the new statistical content that the RQs (and the unit) demands • What aspect of the model do we need to learn more about? • How do we represent this aspect of the model algebraically & graphically? • What assumptions are we making (and how do we evaluate whether these make sense?) Please be courteous: No cellphones, email, websurfing, IM, texting or other electronic distractions during class • III. Interpreting & presenting results • How do we interpret computer output? • What conclusions can we draw—and what conclusions don’t necessarily follow? • How do we write up our results—in words, graphs, tables? • How do we communicate results to both technical and non-technical audiences?

  8. How you’ll spend your time in S-030, Part II:What you’ll do outside of class • Individual and group work • Work in study groups as you’d like, but write and submit HWs individually • The final project may be submitted on your own or with one partner TFs will hold over 20 hours of office hours each week, using a sign up system Statistical computing with structured tutorials • Assignments • Six homework assignments, each consisting of a RQ, data set & questions that guide you through a complete analysis (~⅔ grade) • One final project that gives you a chance to pull together all your component skills into a polished professional product (~⅓ grade) No required reading, but we’ve ordered: …and placed other books on reserve….. Course website: http://my.gse.harvard.edu/course/gse-s030a/2009/spring

  9. Eight things you should do before the first class meeting, next Tuesday 3. Register in one of the two identical sections • 7. Decide how you want to access PC-SAS • Visit the LTC on Gutman 3 • Printout your copy of the • S-030 PC-SAS manual • Think about whether it makes sense for you to purchase a license • 1. Make sure you have the prerequisites • An intro statistics class (S-012, S-010Y or equivalent) • Some experience with statistical computing (not necessarily PC-SAS) 4. Read the School’s policy on plagiarism All written work submitted is to be in your own words • 5. Familiarize yourself with the S-030 website • Bookmark the site • Read the syllabus—it includes many more details and is our learning contract. 2. Complete and submit the on-line course sign up sheet Fill out the on-line poll to give us some background information and let us know you will be taking the class http://poll.icommons.harvard.edu/poll/taker/pollTaker.jsp?poll=1-8379-77386 • 8. Bring the first handout to class • We’ll be posting the 1st handout to the website by Monday • You don’t have to read it; just be sure to bring it 6. Read “Best Practices in S-030” Helpful advice from former students and TFs

More Related