Basic Concepts and Terms

1. Basic Concepts and Terms

2. Historiographical Concepts • Primary sources: Materials containing firsthand evidence of historical events, usually recorded by someone who participated in, witnessed, or lived through the event. Physical objects such as arrowheads, furniture, or documentary films can be primary sources. Your college transcript is a primary source that describes the history of your academic experience. • Secondary sources: Materials containing the research findings of someone who lived after the event being studied. A secondary source often relies on primary (as well as other secondary) sources.

3. Historiographical Concepts • The books and articles in the bibliography in Making History Count are secondary sources. • The data sets we will use are primary sources. • What is a data set?

4. Quantitative History Terms, 1 • Matrix, Database, dataset: A Table of Data • Codebook: A Guide to the dataset Matrix or Database • Case: Unit of analysis (Table Row) • Variable: Information collected on each unit (Table Column) • Value, Code: Table entry or Cell

5. The East Side, 1895

6. The South Side1900-1925

7. Kosciuszko Park, ca. 1925

8. Milwaukee Duplex, 1930, built in 1900

9. A Database or Matrix Case YRBUILT PERSON AGE OCC$ NATIV$ • 1 988 2 39 profcl amer • 2 893 6 39 skille amer • 3 892 6 47 skille germ • 4 . 5 45 skillp germ • 5 . 1 72 unskil germ • 6 . 4 31 skillp amer • 7 . 6 48 skillp germ • 8 . 3 34 unskil amer • 9 . 3 62 germ • 10 889 6 46 skille germ

10. A Database or Matrix Case YRBUILT PERSON AGE OCC$ NATIV$ • 1 988 2 39 profcl amer • 2 893 6 39 skille amer • 3 892 6 47 skille germ • 4 . 5 45 skillp germ • 5 . 1 72 unskil germ • 6 . 4 31 skillp amer • 7 . 6 48 skillp germ • 8 . 3 34 unskil amer • 9 . 3 62 germ • 10 889 6 46 skille germ

11. A Database or Matrix Case YRBUILT PERSON AGE OCC$ NATIV$ • 1 988 2 39 profcl amer • 2 893 6 39 skille amer • 3 892 6 47 skille germ • 4 . 5 45 skillp germ • 5 . 1 72 unskil germ • 6 . 4 31 skillp amer • 7 . 6 48 skillp germ • 8 . 3 34 unskil amer • 9 . 3 62 germ • 10 889 6 46 skille germ

12. A Database or Matrix Case YRBUILT PERSON AGE OCC$ NATIV$ • 1 988 2 39 profcl amer • 2 893 6 39 skille amer • 3 892 6 47 skille germ • 4 . 5 45 skillp germ • 5 . 1 72 unskil germ • 6 . 4 31 skillp amer • 7 . 6 48 skillp germ • 8 . 3 34 unskil amer • 9 . 3 62 germ • 10 889 6 46 skille germ

13. A Database or Matrix Case YRBUILT PERSON AGE OCC$ NATIV$ • 1 988 2 39 profcl amer • 2 893 6 39 skille amer • 3 892 6 47 skille germ • 4 . 5 45 skillp germ • 5 . 1 72 unskil germ • 6 . 4 31 skillp amer • 7 . 6 48 skillp germ • 8 . 3 34 unskil amer • 9 . 3 62 germ • 10 889 6 46 skille germ

14. Terms for Today, 1 • Matrix, Database: A Table of Data • Codebook: A Guide to the Matrix or Database • Case: Unit of analysis (Row) • Variable: Information collected on each unit (Column) • Value, Code: Cell • Case YRBUILT PERSON AGE OCC$ NATIV • 1 988 2 39 profcl amer • 2 893 6 39 skille amer • 3 892 6 47 skille germ • 4 . 5 45 skillp germ • 5 . 1 72 unskil germ • 6 . 4 31 skillp amer • 7 . 6 48 skillp germ • 8 . 3 34 unskil amer • 9 . 3 62 germ • 10 889 6 46 skille germ

15. More Terms, 2: Types of Data • Microlevel: data collected on the characteristics of individual cases, people, houses, events, that is, discrete units. For example an individual, with characteristic information on sex, age, state of residence, etc. • Aggregate: Tabular data representing counts of units falling into particular categories, e.g., populations of states. The state is the unit of analysis; the variables are the name of the state and the population of the state.

16. A Database or Matrix: Microlevel Case YRBUILT PERSON AGE OCC$ NATIV$ • 1 988 2 39 profcl amer • 2 893 6 39 skille amer • 3 892 6 47 skille germ • 4 . 5 45 skillp germ • 5 . 1 72 unskil germ • 6 . 4 31 skillp amer • 7 . 6 48 skillp germ • 8 . 3 34 unskil amer • 9 . 3 62 germ • 10 889 6 46 skille germ

17. U.S. Population Data: Aggregate

18. Terms 3: Sources of Data • Survey: collected specifically for the research purpose, e.g., Current Population Survey, General Social Survey, census. • Administrative record: records of immigrant arrivals by port; tax filings; vital registration records; case files of judicial proceedings, health records.

19. Terms 4: Characterizing Datasets • Population or Sample • Population: all possible units in the universe • Sample: a selection of possible units • Probability or Random Sample: sample selected using probability methods • Parameters and Statistics • Parameters: characteristics of populations • Statistics: characteristics of samples • Cross Section or Time Series • Cross Section: Set of measurements at one point in time • Time Series: Set of measurements on the same phenomenon at different points in time.

20. Levels of Measurement or Types of Variables • Nominal:  categories are exclusive but bear no other relationship to each other. Ex: (1) Jews; (2) Protestants; (3) Catholics; (4) Muslims. 2P does not equal M.       • Ordinal:   Ordinal: categories are continuous and in ascending sequence but distance between two categories is not equal. Ex: ordinal scales of wealth. wealthiest, second wealthiest . . .n wealthiest. The wealthiest does not necessarily have 3 times the wealth of the 3rd wealthiest.      • Interval: True numbers are potentially continuous and in  ascending sequence and the distance between any two units of value is equal. Ex: family size. 1,2,3,4, etc.; income.1000,2000,3000. • Ratio: interval variable with a zero point.