21830125 - Quantitative tools for social sciences

The course aims to provide students with the tools to understand and apply statistical methods for analyzing and evaluating complex problems in the social sciences.

teacher profile | teaching materials

Programme

- Introduction to the data analysis
- data matrix
-techniques for analyzing the multivariate data: statistical indices, graphics, distances and similarity, principal component analysis, cluster analysis, classification tree.


Core Documentation

MARDIA K. V., KENT J. T., BIBBY J. M. - MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS - ACADEMIC PRESS, 1997

Attendance

Attendance is not necessary but strongly recommended.

Type of evaluation

The satisfactory achievement of the aims of the course is assessed through an exam with marks out of thirty. The exam includes a written test as well as an oral interview that can be potentially held in different days. Successful completion of the written test is required for being admitted to the oral interview. For each step the mark is expressed out of thirty and the pass mark is 18. The final mark is an average of the two marks reported in the written test and oral interview respectively. The written test, of length approximately equal to 90 minutes, is aimed at assessing the knowledge and the ability to understand the subjects indicated in the course program, the ability to master and apply the analytical tools required and the ability to apply the theoretical notions taught. The oral interview, of length approximately equal to 25 minutes, consists in theoretical questions on the main methods, models and, in general, notions included in the course program. In particular, the focus will be on evaluating the ability to correctly apply the taught methods, the rigour and clarity of expression.