Dr Jonathan Jackson COL 8.08 and Dr Jouni Kuha COL8.02

This course is available on the MSc in Social Research Methods, MSc in Statistics, MSc in Statistics (Financial Statistics), MSc in Statistics (Financial Statistics) (Research) and MSc in Statistics (Research). This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

Knowledge of basic descriptive and inferential statistics, to the level of MY452 or equivalent. MY456 can also be taken in parallel with MY452L. Familiarity with notions of research design in the social sciences, to the level of MY400 or equivalent.

This course provides an introduction to the methodology of the design and analysis of social surveys. It is intended both for students who plan to design and collect their own surveys, and for those who need to understand and use data from existing large-scale surveys. Topics covered include basic ideas of target populations, survey estimation and inference, sampling error and nonsampling error; sample design and sampling theory; methods of data collection; survey interviewing; cognitive processes in answering survey questions; design and evaluation of survey questions; nonresponse error and imputation for item nonresponse; survey weights; analysis of data from complex surveys; accessing, preparing and working with secondary data from existing social surveys. The course includes computer classes, using the statistical computer package Stata; no previous knowledge of Stata is required.

20 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars in the LT.

Exercises from the some of the seminars and computer classes are submitted for feedback

Groves, R M, Fowler, F J, Couper, M P, Lepkowski, J M, Singer, E, and
Tourangeau, R (2009). Survey Methodology (2nd ed.). Wiley.

Exam (50%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.
Project (50%, 2500 words).

The project is a report of approximately 20 to 30 pages, including tables and figures, or approximately 2,500 words, reporting the data analysis of a given research question and data set.