This course provides an introduction to basic statistics with an emphasis on statistical concepts and methods commonly applied in social science. Lecture topics cover measurement scales, frequency distributions, measures of central location and dispersion, sampling distribution of statistics, confidence intervals and hypothesis testing, Chi-squared test, correlation, linear and binary regression. Teaching is provided through lectures, tutorials and computer training sessions. No previous knowledge of statistics is assumed, however, a sound knowledge of basic mathematics and spreadsheets is required. The course will equip students with the skills required to assess the validity of common statistical tests used in quantitative research.

The course will equip students with the skills required to assess the validity of common statistical tests used in quantitative research.

Assignment : presentation (5%), paper (30%); 1 hour test (15%); Tutorial/Lab exercises (Five) (10%); Final exam (40%).

Each week there will be a 1-hour lecture. The lecture will introduce the concepts being covered and explain the use of the procedure and calculation methods. The tutorial will give students the opportunity to practice the calculation and use of the method and the Computer Lab will be used to learn calculation techniques using a statistical package such as SPSS or Stata.

Mathematical skills to the level of DEMO6926 (assessed by qualifications or test).