Statistical Methods for Social Research using SPSS

label Diverse autorenew 2025-09-29, 17:01 history_edu Diana Ignat
Many researchers in the social sciences use SPSS to perform data analysis, but often formal training in use of the software and how to interpret output is severely lacking. This course aims to eliminate the quantitative skills deficit which exists among many social science researchers.This course will concentrate on transforming participants into competent and confident users of SPSS to enable them to conduct independent data analysis for their own research needs. Working with datasets, the course will cover widely-used statistical methods including descriptive statistics, data visualisation, statistical inference, categorical data, correlation and regression, analysis of variance and multivariate analysis (such as factor analysis).This course takes a more applied approach to conventional statistics by focusing on encouraging participants to "get their hands dirty with data". Instead of being purely theory-oriented, emphasis will be more on the practical application of a variety of statistical techniques to supplied datasets. Topics covered in the course will be wide-ranging, such that participants will be exposed to a variety of statistical methods reflecting the different sorts of data which a researcher may be required to analyse. Assumptions, merits and limitations of methods will be discussed. The course will begin with an overview of the SPSS environment, followed by data visualisation and descriptive statistics. Other topics to be covered include interval estimation and hypothesis testing (for one and two samples), categorical data, correlation and regression, analysis of variance and several multivariate analysis techniques, such as factor analysis.The course will consist of daily lectures supported by computer-based practical classes which will allow course participants to practise implementing the lecture material hands-on in SPSS. SPSS is a popular choice of statistical software and is ideally suited for empirical research in the social sciences.

Period
01-01-2014 - 01-01-2014 (0 weeks)

Target group
This applications-oriented course is designed for researchers who lack the confidence to perform data analysis independently due to:a lack of understanding of various statistical methodsnot knowing which techniques are appropriate for different types of datainexperience with using statistical software packages (specifically SPSS here)not knowing how to interpret output from software packages and what conclusions can be drawn

Course aim
This course aims to transform participants into competent and confident users of SPSS to enable them to conduct independent data analysis for their own research needs.



Credits
5.0 ECTS creditsThe decision to award credits is at the discretion of the student's home institution. Students should always check with their home institution to confirm the number of credits that can be awarded.

Course fee
GBP 1365[Convert to USD]Academic rate - available to students and staff of academic institutionsGBP 2310[Convert to USD]Standard rate

Course leader
Dr James Abdey

Scholarships
Previous students of LSE may be eligible for a 15% discount on their tuition fees.

London School of Economics
Address: Houghton Street
Postal code: WC2A 2AE
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
Website: http://www.lse.ac.uk/study/summerSchools/Methods/home.aspx
E-mail: summer.methods@lse.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)20 7955 6422