Spring 2025 - SA 355 D100

Quantitative Methods (S) (4)

Class Number: 2578

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Tue, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    SA 255 and SA 257.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Examines the methods, concepts and statistical procedures central to quantitative sociological research. Emphasizing the meaningful application of statistical analysis to social issues, the course provides intermediate quantitative research skills. Students use statistics software to conduct applicable statistical analyses and interpret results. Quantitative.

COURSE DETAILS:

In this course, you finally get to focus on quantitative research methodology and play with statistics! You have taken many courses about sociology. You’ve learned some basics about research design, and some principles and thinking behind statistics. This is where you get to focus on how to do design research, and do analysis yourself. Quantitative methods and statistics in social research are interesting, important, and require some specific ways of thinking about analysis. This is what you will learn in SA 355.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

In this course you will:

  • Learn about different methods for gathering quantitative data.
  • Learn about social science statistical analysis, including the basic approaches of the two major statistical paradigms. We will focus on a conceptual understanding of the most commonly used paradigm, including discussing different statistical techniques, and reasoning about when and why to use them.
  • Work with another student to choose and develop research questions.
  • Conduct statistical analysis of existing data to find out the answers: process data, conduct descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, and make tables and graphs using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) and Microsoft Word.
  • Learn about principles of presenting results, and present your project to other students.

Grading

  • Data Analyiss Project assignments 55%
  • Midterm 30%
  • In-class work 15%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Readings will be available through Canvas.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.