Introduction to Applied Statistical Analysis Using R

Design. Increasingly, researchers in the social sciences are looking toward quantitative data analysis techniques to answer major substantive questions in their fields. This seminar is designed to introduce students to the practical elements of quantitative data analysis answering relevant questions from the social sciences using the free and open-source statistical software R, which is widely used in the social and natural sciences. Students will gain hands-on experience with using existing datasets from comparative politics, cleaning and managing quantitative data, visualizing data, and performing their own, guided data analyses. By applying these techniques to real-life examples from the field, students will be able to connect concepts learned in substantive courses such as Judicial Politics in Comparative Perspective, Modern Democracies in Comparison, and Positive Political Theory to concrete data analysis. Furthermore, students will learn about the limitations of using the statistical techniques discussed in the course, as well as diagnostic techniques for ensuring that their analyses are appropriate for their research questions and data. In so doing, this course will prepare students both to become more careful consumers of published quantitative research, and to conduct their own research using quantitative techniques. Topics. The course will cover six major topic areas. (1) Students will first receive an introduction to R, including the basics of downloading the software and the required packages, using the R interface, and loading and saving data. (2) Students will learn about object-oriented programming in R, focusing on the different types of data structures that R uses. (3) Students will then gain experience with descriptive analysis with R, learning about the main statistical features of datasets. (4) Students will learn about R’s graphical capabilities. (5) Students will then learn how to use R to execute regression analyses, with a focus on linear and logistic regression. (6) Finally, students will familiarize themselves with extensions to what they have already learned in the course, including an overview of how they can use R to perform more complex regression analyses. Throughout, students will apply these techniques to examples from comparative politics. Learning Objectives. The seminar has four major learning objectives: First, students will learn how to pose research questions and how to address them using quantitative data and methods. Second, students will learn how to manipulate quantitative data in the R statistical software. Third, students will develop an understanding of how to analyze quantitative data using methods such as data visualization, descriptive analysis, and regression. Fourth, students will apply these techniques to examples from the field of comparative politics, as well as their own work. Dieses Seminar bietet eine anwendungsorientierte Einführung in die quantitativen Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung. Der Kurs ist insbesondere für Studierende empfohlen die während ihres Studiums empirisch arbeiten und forschen möchten. Requirements. English will be the language of this seminar. Computer programs will be provided in the ITS Pool of the Faculty for Humanities. Examination. In accordance with the study regulations of the modules VM ME / VM 3. Literature. Monogan III, James E. 2015. Political Analysis Using R. New York: Springer. Dieses Buch ist für Angehöhrige der LUH kostenfrei über das Universitätsnetz verfügbar. keine öffentliche Person VM ME, VM 3 Universität Hannover SoSe 2016 Politikwissenschaft, Bachelor of Arts Dozent